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SMH: Addicts aren't necessarily bad mothers

image - White Mother And Child 280
Date Published:
5 Dec 2011
Contact person:
Marion Downey
Phone:
02 9385 1080

The Sydney Morning Herald has today (December 5) reported the key findings from Stephanie Taplin and Richard Mattick's recently completed project, Child Protection and Mothers in Susbtance Abuse Treatment.

The article, Addicts aren't necessarily bad mothers, study finds, highlights that social isolation and poor mental heatlh are of greater importance in determining a mother's involvement with the child protection system, more so than the severity of her substance abuse.

Journalist Adele Horin delves into the women's reported experiences of the child protection system such as their likelihood of having children removed from their care and the disparity in experiences between women in Redfern-Waterloo versus other parts of Sydney.

Taplin and Mattick's study was a three-year project funded by NSW Community Services, Department of Family and Community Services, and the University of New South Wales. As well as examining the current relationship between women on opioid substitution treatment and child protection services, the project's final report also makes recommendations for policy makers.