After It Rains Foundation has conducted research within our community to understand how we can best help children impacted by addiction. Learning from people with current lived experiences has been very helpful in understanding ways in which we can best serve.

  • What support would you find most valuable?

    “A community of individuals going through the same thing and talking about it. I think being vulnerable with people on this topic could help you learn how to accept it a little more or at least how to deal with it more effectively.”

    Kiera E.

  • When it comes to services, what do you think is something children of addiction should be provided with?

    “Therapy and unfiltered talks about the things that happened to their parent(s). I wish I would’ve known more about addiction growing up.”

    Lily S.

  • Why do you feel it is important to advocate for children of parents with addiction?

    “Because often times, nobody else is. As a child you rely on the adults in your life to provide you with what you need across the board, so what is a child to do whenever their parent is unable to meet their requirements?”

    Isis Y.

  • If there was one thing that you could tell a child going through a similar situation as you, what would it be?

    “Reach out to your peers, whether it be your favorite teacher or your best friends parents. Surround yourself with people who elevate you and make you feel safe & heard.”

    Sydney G.

  • Did you have access to mental healthcare or did your parents seek any services for you during that time?

    “Mental health wasn’t really talked about much or something I was truly conscious about until a much older age. Id say by the time I had a true grasp of what mental health is and it’s importance was probably around the same time i understood how badly both my parents dealt with it.”

    Gabe G.

Children with a parent with a Substance Abuse Disorder (SUD) are likelier to have a lower socioeconomic status and increased difficulties in academic and social settings and family functioning. These children are also at an increased risk of experiencing direct effects, such as parental abuse or neglect, or indirect effects, such as fewer household resources.

Children who grow up in a home with a parent that had a substance use disorder are more likely to develop symptoms of drug or alcohol use disorders.

Source: samhsa.gov

After It Rains finds it critical to prevent the adverse effects that a parent’s addiction can cause on their child. We will continue to raise awareness and do our part in Oklahoma to make an active difference in the lives of others.