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Busting children out of meth homes

January 23, 2006
By: Andrea Ramey
State Capital Bureau

Missouri's meth problem is not new, but one legislative committee plans to look at new ways help children escape the horrors of growing up in a meth home.

Andrea Ramey has more from the state Capitol.

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The Children's Services Commission heard from an MU researcher who says more attention should be focused on children who live in meth homes.

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Contents: "The horrendous neglect and abuse that they often suffer and no one's even looking even around the nation, execpt for anecdotal reports, it seems like there's no systematic look at what's happening to the children."

The Committee is also taking suggestions from child welfare agencies to draft new legislation.

In 2004, there were 2,788 meth busts according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

That number was the highest in the nation.

From the state Capitol, I'm Andrea Ramey.

The Children's Services Commission listened to child welfare agencies and researchers who all agreed meth has a devastating effect on a child's life.

The chair woman of the committee, St. Louis Democrat Rita Days, says with the already existing meth task forces and other groups, it's important not to get bogged down in bureacracy but to make policy that will make a difference.

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Contents: "You generally don't kind of hear about that but children sleeping in class and they can't do well if they're up all night, if they're hanging their head out the window so they don't have to smell it or whatever. It's absolutely horrendous what these children have to go through."

According to the Midwestern Governor's Association, more than seven thousand Missouri children have been removed from their homes due to parent drug use.

From the state Capitol, I'm Andrea Ramey.