The Substance Affected Infant Data is collected on a case-by-case basis.  Each case includes testing the mother and the child for legal and illegal drugs.  Any drug that shows up in the mother or the child is reported to Richmond County Child Protective Services (CPS) and recorded.  All data ranges from August to July of each year and refers to all infants born positive with one or more drugs. 

Disclaimer:  The data collected and information provided is based on local records obtained from the Richmond County Division of Social Services and are not directly related to any research project. 

COVID-19 restrictions may have caused an increase in substance use which may have caused the 2020-2021 increase of infants born positive with substances in Richmond County. Researchers and clinical observations have concluded that COVID-related stress, either from financial problems, general anxiety, or loneliness from isolation, has increased substance use. According to the CDC (2021), as of June 2020, 13% of Americans reported starting or increasing substance use as a way of coping with stress or emotions related to COVID-19. In addition, almost every state in the nation has reported an increase in overdose deaths and other drug-related problems during the pandemic; one fact has risen to the forefront, fentanyl and fentanyl analogs have been contributing factors.

Richmond County infants affected by substance use reports have indicated that the major contributor is marijuana and usually one other substance such as methadone or an opioid.  Marijuana use directly affects the brain, specifically the parts responsible for memory, learning, attention, decision-making, coordination, emotion, and reaction time. Therefore, infants, children, and teens (who still have developing brains) are especially susceptible to the adverse effects of marijuana.  

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, December 28). What You Need to Know About Marijuana Use and Pregnancy. Marijuana and Public Health. What You Need to Know About Marijuana Use and Pregnancy | Fact Sheets | CDC

• Richmond County Department of Social Services DEFT | Richmond County, NC - Official Website (richmondnc.com)
  The Richmond County Drug Endangered Family Taskforce (DEFT) was formed to address the opioid crisis in our local neighborhoods. Community stakeholders, county government, and local agencies have joined forces to provide treatment resources and community education. We are committed to bringing awareness and prevention to Richmond County and its residents by working with local providers to reduce the supply of prescription opioids, increase community awareness and prevention, and supply naloxone to family, friends, and other interested parties who may work, live or know those who may use opioids.
• Richmond County Health Department Health Department | Richmond County, NC - Official Website (richmondnc.com)
  The mission of the Richmond County Health Department is to help prevent disease, promote health, and protect the environment for all citizens of Richmond County, and to continually assess and respond to the community's health needs.
• Sandhills Opioid Response Consortium Substance Use Disorder | NC | FirstHealth of the Carolinas
  A FirstHealth community coalition committed to reducing opioid-related overdoses in Moore, Montgomery, Lee, Hoke, and Richmond counties. We work with our partners in each county to provide peer support, caregiver support, harm reduction kits, medicine for opioid use disorders, support groups, and syringe exchanges. We also support our partners in building community awareness by providing podcasts, virtual support, and community events like Drop Box locations. 
• Richmond County Partnership for Children Richmond County Partnership for Children | Smart Start (smartstartrichmond.org) 
  Working with parents and caretakers of young children, Richmond County Partnership for Children (RCPC) helps to support families. Our Circle of Parents group provides parents with a healthy, non-judgmental outlet to discuss parenting struggles. We share information with our parents about the effects of their choices on children. RCPC continually offers resources and referrals to other community agencies to support our families in all areas needed.
• Guardian Ad Litem Guardian ad Litem | North Carolina Judicial Branch (nccourts.gov)
  The North Carolina Guardian ad Litem (GAL) program equips community volunteers to serve abused and neglected children by advocating for their best interests in court, including recommendations for substance use treatment for children and parents.  
• Connections Family Support First United Methodist Church (Bynum Building)  Rockingham, NC (877) 211-5995
  Connections Family Support Program hosts a monthly support group at First United Methodist Church in the Bynum Building located at 400 E. Washington St. in Rockingham from 12 Noon to 1:30 PM with lunch provided. Anyone who has children with behavioral, emotional, or learning challenges. Each month, different topics are discussed, and resources are provided.  

• Access and use of the North Carolina Opioid Action Plan
• Access and use of the NC Early Childhood Action Plan
• Avert future opioid addiction by supporting youth and families
• Encourage the use of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) programs 
• Increase and improve access to drug treatment programs
• Increase access to home-visiting programs for young children
• Increase funding and capacity for CMARC 
• Improve the responsiveness of birth through third-grade teacher and administrator preparation programs
• Increase funding to early learning programs that serve children with the highest barriers to success, including those from low-income families and people of color
• Implementation of Pre‐pregnancy prevention efforts before a woman becomes pregnant through promoting public awareness of the effects of substance use (including alcohol and tobacco) during pregnancy and encouraging access to appropriate substance use disorder treatment

• Encourage screening and assessment in the prenatal period to identify substance use disorders among pregnant women 

• Develop a Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome program to discourage a second birth while using substances. 

Early childhood matters because positive experiences and environments can give a child the resilience and confidence to meet future life challenges.  In contrast, traumatic experiences and environments can have the opposite effect. In addition, there are periods of rapid brain development from birth to age three when billions of individual neurons are being established.  Therefore, interventions are needed to supply the necessary support beginning at birth to provide the foundation for all future learning, behavior, and health.  A strong foundation in early childhood is crucial for reaching milestones critical to future success, including third-grade reading proficiency, high school graduation, post-secondary education, employment, physical health, mental health, and avoiding substance misuse and criminal behavior.  

Care Management for At-Risk Children or CMARC is a community response program that works with families/guardians of children birth to five years old and is based in the Richmond County Health Department and managed by social workers.  The program is based on a family-centered, system-of-care approach to child welfare by filling a gap in the continuum of child maltreatment prevention programming by working with families who have been reported to child protection services as having substance-affected infants with at-risk for a diagnosis with a disability or special healthcare needs, or social/emotional disorders.  CMARC social workers coordinate resources, programs, and services to meet each family's needs.  Social workers also serve as the link between child, family, and providers while assisting in strengthening the parent-child relationships.  CMARC also accepts referrals from outside sources such as local providers, the local hospital system, and the Department of Social Services.