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Opioid abuse

The Forgotten Victims of the Opioid Crisis: Indiana's Children in Need

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

More than $1 billion in national opioid settlement funds have been obtained by Indiana, but not a single dollar has been allocated to support the children of addicts, who are struggling to navigate life without a healthy parent.

The opioid crisis has left a staggering number of children without a parent to support their academic and behavioral development. In Indiana, over 57,500 K-12 students have a parent who has been affected by opioid use disorder. These children are not addicts themselves, but have had to deal with the consequences of their parent's addiction, including being raised by a sober single parent, a grandparent, or the foster care system.

The children of addicts are overwhelming schools with higher rates of special education and behavioral health needs, and are at an increased danger of not graduating high school. Specifically, they have lower rates of attendance and academic achievement, while also experiencing higher rates of behavior issues.

Key Takeaways:

  • Over 57,500 K-12 students in Indiana have a parent who has been affected by opioid use disorder.
  • Indiana ranked 13th in the country per capita with 35 of every 1,000 K-12 aged students having a parent with opioid-related issues.
  • Only $1 billion of the national opioid settlement funds have been obtained by Indiana, but none of those funds have been allocated to support the children of addicts.
  • 80% of restricted funds and 82% of unrestricted funds have not been allocated from the settlement funds.
  • 79% of community committees designated to allocate the funds have not even been created.
  • Indiana's students with a parent navigating opioid addiction are on track to cost the state $10.5 billion by 2030 in special education services, Medicaid expenditures, and social services.
  • The opioid crisis will leave a lost generation of parents, requiring an aggressive and generational strategy to support the rehabilitation of Hoosier communities.

Statistics:

  • Over 2.2 million children in the United States have a parent navigating opioid use disorder.
  • 57,500 K-12 students in Indiana have a parent who has been affected by opioid use disorder.
  • Indiana ranks 13th in the country per capita with 35 of every 1,000 K-12 aged students having a parent with opioid-related issues.
  • 80% of restricted funds and 82% of unrestricted funds from the opioid settlement have not been allocated.
  • 79% of community committees designated to allocate the funds have not even been created.
  • Indiana's students with a parent navigating opioid addiction are on track to cost the state $10.5 billion by 2030.

Sources:

  • (https://americanhealth.jhu.edu/news/opioid-epidemics-toll-children)
  • (https://www.wlky.com/article/indiana-leaders-gather-to-address-increase-of-child-abuse-cases/3765245)
  • (https://www.cwla.org/hhs-study-documents-link-between-substance-abuse-foster-care-increases/#:~:text=A%2010%20percent%20increase%20in,the%20foster%20care%20entry%20rate)
  • (https://uhfnyc.org/publications/publication/ripple-effect-chartbook/)
  • (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9360289/#Sec15)
  • (https://www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/home/opioid-settlement/)
  • (https://www.in.gov/recovery/settlement/)
  • (https://nationalopioidsettlement.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/TEVA-Exhibit-E.pdf)
  • (https://www.in.gov/recovery/files/2024-Annual-Opioid-Settlement-Report.pdf)

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