RESPONSE GUIDELINES
Overview
Historically, children identified at homes where illicit drugs are being manufactured or used have not been the focal point of attention for law enforcement officials. Although children are generally removed from the scene, inconsistent actions are often taken with regard to the their placement. Often, without the professional assistance of DHS workers, children found at these homes are turned over to the care of a family friend or relative without due regard for the appropriateness of such placements. Moreover, decisions to hand the child off to a relative often fail to consider the effects of the toxic chemicals or hazards and the child's need for medical intervention.
An Iowa DEC Program utilizing best practices ensures that children receive an immediate and appropriate medical exam, including a test for exposure to toxic chemicals and developmental screening. Upon being removed from the crime scene, the children are provided with new clothing, food, and, if needed, crisis counseling and a shower or bath to reduce chemical exposure. A forensic interview is conducted with the child in a child-friendly environment, and a medical exam is conducted to determine the child's immediate safety and to collect important evidence used in the drug and child abuse prosecutions and Child in Need of Assistance (CINA) cases.
COMMUNITY/OTHER PROTOCOLS
RESOURCES
- Drug Exposed Children: A Problem for Rural Iowa by Cheryll Jones, ARNP, CPNP -- Southeast Iowa Task Force for Drug Exposed Children, Ottumwa, Iowa
- Protecting Our Children by Christine Corken, Assistant Dubuque County Attorney
