Neglect and parental drug misuse

Matthew’s mum Melanie and her two children have been coming to one of our Barnardo’s projects for families where drugs misuse is an issue. Provided we changed her name, she has allowed us to tell her story.

Matthew’s story

As a child of heroin users, it was hardly surprising that Matthew would suffer. He often missed school because he didn’t fit in with the other children, and he would wander the streets for hours reluctant to go and face the issues at home.

Matthew’s mum loved Matthew and thought she was able to care for him properly. She didn’t realise Matthew was affected by her addiction. ‘I thought I was doing a good job of protecting him from my habit’.

When Matthew’s father was sent to prison for drug offences, his mother’s life fell apart. Matthew’s mum turned to the drugs more than ever to cope, and her health began to deteriorate. Although he was only a child, Matthew tried to care for his mum. He cooked the meals and cleaned the house. He stopped going to school and became lonely and miserable. ‘I never knew what I’d find when I came home, I was better off looking after myself.’

Eventually his mother sought help from her local Barnardo’s project. Barnardo’s helped find a drug support group that could get Matthew’s mother on a methadone treatment programme, and the project workers worked closely with her to build up her parenting skills and ensure that she could provide proper support for Matthew. For Matthew, the project was somewhere he could talk freely about his feelings. ‘I would not be where I am today without Barnardo’s. I am a totally different person now.’

Find out more about how Barnardo’s projects work with children like Matthew suffering from neglect.

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