Infants who are exposed to substances during pregnancy need special support, but their families may struggle to access it.

Create plans of safe care to connect families to parenting classes, safety guidance, and addiction treatment from the start. Federal law requires these plans for infants exposed to substances.

How to do this

Identify the population you’re focusing on. This includes infants exposed to any substance with abuse potential during pregnancy, not just illegal substances.

Create guidance for healthcare providers. Give clear criteria for a child abuse report versus a plan of safe care.

Create a plan of safe care template. The plan must address both the infant's health needs and the family's addiction treatment needs.

Collect only required data. This includes the number of infants for whom you created a plan and made referrals for services.

Share plans with community partners. Send plans to community-based providers who can help families access services. You can get anonymous data back from programs to measure performance.

This strategy in action

Washington State created an online portal that healthcare providers use to collect de-identified data about prenatal substance exposure and guide appropriate referrals.

When possible, the system connects families to community-based services through Help Me Grow rather than the child abuse hotline, while still meeting federal requirements.

Washington developed these tools with experts and community members who have lived experience, creating resources that help reduce bias and improve family support.

Resources