According to the recent statistics, up to 70 percent of parents involved in the child protective service system have a history of substance use or abuse. Hence, it is evident that substance abuse is strongly related to child abuse and neglect.

To help such families, Georgia State University has received $4.8 million federal grant-spread across five years- for a project that will help improve the lives of children and families of those involved in the drug abuse treatment through the DeKalb County Drug Court.

The project is a multi-agency collaboration involving Georgia State, the DeKalb County Superior Court Drug Court, Lutheran Services of Georgia and the Georgia Center on Child Advocacy.

"The project will provide a set of services to a very high-risk population that doesn't necessarily receive those services, children of chronic substance abusers involved multiple times in drug offenses," said Whitaker, the leader of the National SafeCare Training and Research Center within the CHD.

Normally, children of these substance abusers have trouble coping up with life's challenges often succumbing to anti-social lifestyle. The likelihood of experiencing a wide range of poor outcomes, ranging from psychological problems to academic issues is also high among these children.

Hence, through the program officials will be implementing a set of evidence-based programs, focusing on children.

Evidence-based programs will include parenting programs and evidence-based trauma treatments. SafeCare, one of the models to be used, has been shown to improve parenting and reduce child maltreatment.

The DeKalb County Drug Court was created to interrupt the cycle of crime driven by addiction.

"The drug court program addresses these needs as well as employment and housing," said Guastaferro, an assistant professor in criminal justice at GSU.

"Many participants, however, have been abused, homeless and victimized during the course of their lives. Given these experiences, we recognized the need for trauma care services for all participants, and most participants are parents," she said.

The good news is more than seventy-two percent of those involved in drug court program have agreed to participate in parenting classes and responded positively that their partners or spouses would participate in the same to become better parents.

Hopefully, the program will help the parents to treat their children better and aid in re-establishing the connection that is often lost due to substance abuse.