Part Three Public child welfare agencies are faced with a growing problem of infants exposed to drugs before they are born.
Some agencies place the baby in foster care, then try later to reunite the baby and mother.
Others terminate paren-tal rights, requiring adequate adoptive homes. Public child welfare agencies need an intensive treatment option that can give mothers who are able to change the opportunity to reunite with their babies and raise them safely without substance abuse. This team works closely with local substance abuse treatment providers to provide a more intensive response to women with babies who tested positive for drugs at birth. Initial outcome data are promising, and the program is being expanded. It is possible for drug treatment providers and child welfare workers to work closely together in the design and implementation of an integrated approach.