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Erie County court gets major boost to help at-risk kids

Erie County court gets major boost to help at-risk kids
Posted at 1:30 PM, Jul 14, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-14 13:30:26-04

Erie County Family Treatment Drug Court receives $425,500 in federal funding to handle cases involving children in homes with opioid abuse.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Substance Abuse Treatment allocated the funding to help provide permanent, healthy homes for children of parents suffering from drug and alcohol addiction.

Today, Senator Chuck Schumer said, “the Erie County Family Treatment Court is of the utmost importance, especially now, as the opioid epidemic continues to ravage our nation.”

The court will address parental drug and alcohol abuse by offering early intervention and enrollment of addicted parents into appropriate treatment services. Its ultimate goal is to eventually reunite families after proper recovery.

Senator Schumer added, “this federal funding will advance the Court’s ability to break the cycle of addiction and act in the best interest of children by maximizing the opportunities for reunification or preservation of the family.”

To date, the Family Treatment Drug Court has served more than 1,200 of the County’s most at-risk children.