Most insurance plans will cover either all or a portion of the treatment.
Content Reviewed By:
SUD treatment executive, national news contributor & keynote speaker.
Navigation:
- Overview
- What Kinds of Rehab Centers Offer Childcare?
- How Do I Know My Child Will Be Safe in Childcare?
- Find Rehab For Yourself and Your Child
Overview
Millions of parents and guardians battle substance use each year. Data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that approximately 7.5 million (10.5 percent) children lived in households with at least one parent who had an alcohol use disorder, and about 2.1 million (2.9 percent) children lived in households with at least one parent who had a past year illicit drug use disorder.
As parenthood and substance use continue to overlap for more and more mothers and fathers, lack of access to childcare has grown to be one of the most significant and powerful impediments to treatment. Parents often feel as if they’re forced to choose between getting help and being there for their children for their everyday needs.
The reality is, however, that even if parents who are facing substance use challenges are physically there for their kids, their struggles will eventually prevent them from being present in any meaningful way. In fact, the longer they continue drinking or using drugs without getting help, the larger risk they pose to their children’s safety and wellbeing.
In an effort to help more parents reclaim their mental health, rebuild their families, and find lasting recovery from addiction, some rehab centers are offering childcare on premises while parents get treatment.
What Kinds of Rehab Centers Offer Childcare?
Childcare is offered primarily by outpatient rehab centers. These facilities allow patients to get the help they need from experienced, compassionate, and committed doctors and therapists and return home every day so they can continue to stay present in their children’s lives and their jobs. Outpatient rehab centers offer a variety of treatment services, including group therapy, individualized counseling, supplemental therapies, medication-assisted therapy, and others to help address the root causes and sustaining factors associated with your substance use.
How Do I Know My Child Will Be Safe in Childcare?
Parents enrolling their children in a treatment center’s childcare program should confirm that the staff is credentialed and experienced and that the program complies with all federal, state, and county rules.
If you’re a parent in treatment sending your son or daughter to childcare at your rehab center, you should also feel free to ask about the staff’s experience, areas of specialization, and what the child’s daily routine will be in the program.
It’s important to realize that these programs vary in scope of service, rules, and quality. It’s OK and strongly encouraged to ask any questions about the staff, activities, and reputation of the facility prior to enrolling your child.
What Are Childcare Programs Like in Rehab Centers?
Like any childcare program, the goal is to ensure that children are safe, protected, socialized, and cared for while their parents are away. Programs will vary, but children will have the opportunity to interact with other children through games, social activities, educational exercises, and other avenues.
One of the main benefits of childcare in drug rehab is that it gives children a sense of normalcy, stability, and joy during what can be objectively characterized as a difficult time in their lives. It also provides them with an opportunity to build friendships with children who are in similar circumstances and less likely to judge or isolate them.
Staff at these programs are often acutely experienced in how substance use affects a child’s social and behavioral development and can provide guidance and advice on how to cope.
Find Rehab For Yourself and Your Child
You don’t have to choose between getting the care you need for substance use and being there for your child. While rehabs that offer childcare are admittedly rare, they are getting increasingly common and may be included in the cost of treatment. Use our directory of rehabs that allow children and contact the admissions staff of the treatment center you’re considering to learn about your options.
