When seeking alcohol addiction treatment, one of the factors you may take into account is the possibility of losing custody of your children. Additionally, many mothers avoid attending treatment because they are not sure if they can get childcare for their children. However, if you are struggling with an alcohol addiction, finding treatment is the first step to ensuring that you will be able to see your children in the future. If you’re struggling with addiction but still want the best for your little ones, you should learn as much as you can about how alcohol addiction can impact your rights as a parent. To learn about the benefits of finding treatment, contact True Life Center at 866.942.5876 today.

How Can Alcohol Addiction Impact Custody

There are major concerns about parents abusing drugs and alcohol while they’re caring for their children. As a result, most of the states in America have child protection laws to address certain aspects of parents battling addiction. For example, some states have expanded their definition of what constitutes neglect and child abuse to include misusing controlled substances that impair your ability to provide care for your children. There is a range of situations where you may receive limited custody of your child or lose custody entirely, including:
  • Failing a drug test during your custody hearings
  • Failing a drug test after someone has reported neglect or mistreatment to the Department of Health and Human Services
  • Being arrested on charges relating to alcohol
No matter what your situation involves, the priority is always your child’s best interest. In most cases, the courts do their best to let the children stay with their parent unless they determine that the parent is unfit to raise the children. In the event your children are removed from your care, most courts today list reunification with the family as the goal. Additionally, you should also remember that court decisions aren’t necessarily permanent. As a result, there are specific situations where the courts will agree to reinstate your custodial rights.

How Addiction Treatment Can Affect Custody

Unlike other treatment centers, True Life Center is proud to provide childcare and housing for mothers who are pregnant or have children under the age of five. If your child is over the cut-off age, they can stay with a trusted relative or a spouse. This choice is usually ideal if your child is old enough to attend school. In most cases, you should attend an inpatient alcohol addiction treatment program for women. These California treatment programs can last between seven and ten weeks. While the length of treatment may be a significant concern for many mothers, you should remember that getting treatment doesn’t make you a bad parent. On the contrary, in fact, because getting treatment shows that you’re committed to getting sober and being the best version of yourself for your children. Once you leave the alcohol addiction treatment program, it may be possible to regain full custody of your children. However, each situation is unique, and a range of considerations can impact your case, including:
  • How long you used alcohol
  • Whether you’ve relapsed in the past
  • How severe your dependency is
The best way to determine how your alcohol addiction will impact your custody case is to talk to a lawyer. Then, find a women’s addiction treatment program to ensure that the courts see that you’re striving for recovery.

Contact True Life Center Today

At True Life Center, we provide treatment for women battling addiction. No matter what your situation is, our team can help. We offer a range of treatment options, including:
  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy
  • Dialectical behavior therapy
  • Group therapy
  • Family therapy
  • Trauma therapy
If you’re wondering how your addiction will affect your custody, contact our team today by calling 866.942.5876.