Translating Evidence to Practice: The Impact of Drug & Alcohol Misuse on Parenting Capacity

Abstract

Parents play a pivotal role in providing a safe and developmentally-appropriate environment for their children. As children grow and develop, a parent needs to be flexible in order to respond to the changing needs of their child. They need an awareness of what is happening in the world around them and the impact of this on their child. While parental misuse of drugs and/or alcohol alone does not predict parenting capacity, it may indicate that a family is at an increased risk of having parenting capacity compromised and this, in turn, will have negative implications for the children in their care.