Pregnancy and parenting a young child are exciting and challenging times for all parents. Planning, preparation, and support are important – especially for parents who are working on recovery from substance use. All parents need and deserve help and support. It is important to reach out and ask for the help, even if you don’t always know what you need or what is available.

Purpose of the Plan of Safe Care/Family Support Plan:

The Plan is designed to help families access the services they may need to prepare for parenting and for keeping their child healthy and safe.

It was designed to help you identify the resources that you and your child(ren) need and the services and supports in the community that can help keep you and your child healthy and safe. It can help make sure that you have the skills and resources necessary to care for an infant who was exposed to substances during pregnancy. It also may be used to show that parents are making an effort to engage in substance use treatment and recovery and provide a safe and healthy home for their children.

A Plan of Safe Care is:

A plan to improve the health, safety, development, and well-being of a mother, infant, and the infant’s family/caregiver by identifying, guiding, and directing appropriate services and supports.

Offered in response to:

An infant’s substance abuse or withdrawal symptoms,

Prenatal drug exposure, or

a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

How to use this plan:

Parents and Families – If you are pregnant or recently had a child, this plan can help you find the supports and services you need to keep yourself and your child healthy and safe. You can update this plan over time to keep track of all the work you’ve done to prepare for parenting and to show the progress you have made. It is important to work on this plan with others who can help you – for example your doctor, a counselor, a case manager, or a recovery coach.

This form can be used for families in many different situations, before and/or after the birth of a child. Not all sections may apply to you or your family. You may need to add sections your family needs. The Plan may need to be updated as the needs of you and your family change.

Providers – this plan is a guide to assist you in your work with perinatal women and families. It contains a list of services and supports that may be useful to families. Additional resources can be added, as needed. This plan should be completed jointly with parents/families in the context of a non-judgmental conversation.

It should be updated as parent, child, and family needs change, rather than being completed during a single session. It may be helpful to discuss this plan monthly and update the plan as family circumstances evolve.

This plan is voluntary and offered to be helpful – to help parents identify the resources and supports they need to keep themselves and their child healthy and safe. However, all families with an infant that is affected by substance use must be offered the opportunity to develop a Plan of Safe Care/Family Support Plan.

Confidentiality and Communication:

The Plan of Safe Care/Family Support Plan is primarily designed to organize and facilitate access to services that help parents in early recovery or who are using substances. Families have the right to privacy, but this plan may offer useful information to the agencies who are working with your family. Families are encouraged to sign a Consent to Release Confidential Information so that information about their needs and services can be shared with providers involved in their care and other agencies. This will help them to coordinate and communicate about services and supports needed.

Ask for help. Every new parent needs help.

There is help and support available to you, even when you don’t think there is.

Stay connected with your treatment providers and recovery community.