The Iowa Drug Endangered Children
initiative recognizes that children are often the innocent victims when their parents are involved in drug manufacturing and use, and that intervention is needed to assure safety and health for these children. 

Methamphetamine manufactured locally in clandestine meth labs represents only a small portion of the drug problem in Iowa.  Large quantities of meth are imported into the state, and other controlled substances, such as cocaine, marijuana,and heroin continue to ravage the lives and families of users.  Additionally, the abuse of prescription drugs continues to rise, negatively impacting Iowa families.

A criminal justice system over-burdened with a disturbing rate of drug convictions coupled with a dramatically rising number of terminations of parental rights in which the underlying problem is substance abuse makes a compelling case for a strong response to the problem of drug addiction in Iowa.  

The Iowa DEC program proposes to establish Best Practices in the State of Iowa to assist local communities in their efforts to address the growing problem of vulnerable children and their exposure to toxic chemicals and illicit substances.  The program emphasizes strong multi-disciplinary collaboration in the provision of treatment services and medical intervention, and further strives to track the health outcomes and long-term safety of children exposed to drugs.  

The Iowa Drug Endangered Children Program (DEC) was established in 2004 with the strong bipartisan support and leadership of Senator Charles Grassley , Senator Tom Harkin and Representative Leonard Boswell.  Since then communities throughout Iowa have formed or are in the process of forming multi-disciplinary response teams to address the safety, medical and psychological needs of these innocent children.