Grandparents fill an important role in the lives of young children. They can provide childcare when parents return to work, offer financial support for a new family and be another source of guidance and love for growing children.
Sometimes, grandparents won’t just take the kids during the workday or for an occasional overnight trip on the weekend. Occasionally, they will need to assume full-time custody over their grandchildren because of a child’s drug abuse.
What are the most common reasons that people adopt their grandkids because of drug addiction?
Addiction has disrupted the family
Some people are functional addicts who still get everything they need to do done, and others can barely remember what day it is. Parents struggling with addiction may simply be incapable of providing the stability and support that children require on a daily basis.
An addicted adult child with children of their own may push their parents into adopting their grandchildren.
Addiction often leads to jail
For many families, a parent struggling with addiction will try to remain a part of their children’s lives. However, once a parent faces criminal charges, they could end up in state custody. Grandparents may adopt their children when a prison sentence disrupts family life.
Addiction could lead to a termination of someone’s rights
Sometimes, it is not a family decision but rather a state decision that ends a parent’s legal rights regarding their children.
If the state has investigated the parent for drug use and accuses them of abuse or neglect, they might go to court and terminate the parent’s rights to the children. Then family members either need to step up right away or run the risk of children going to a state facility or a foster home. If you have questions about your custody rights as a grandparent, it may benefit you to explore your legal options in further detail.