Addiction is a family illness.  While addiction is hard on the addict, those who often hurt the most are the family members who have witnessed their loved one fall into the destructive cycle of chemical dependency.  Children, especially, are strongly affected when growing up in a family with addicted parents and/or siblings. 

Caron's Children's Educational Program serves as a way to educate children about the consequences of drug/alcohol abuse and addiction by using an approach most suitable for their age group.  The program provides children with the coping tools they need to live with an addicted parent or sibling, thus improving their self-esteem, empowering them to make healthy choices and opening new lines of communication with family members.  This process will help children who have already been impacted by chemical abuse in their families find hope.

Goals

The goal of this program is to provide an educational, fun experience that will help children learn and build the skills they need, all in a safe, caring environment where kids are free to express themselves:

• understand the addiction disease process
• understand that they are not responsible for their parent's/sibling's addiction
• access and appropriately process their feelings about the impact of addiction on their families or on themselves
• understand the process of treatment and recovery
• identify a support system and how to utilize them
• develop healthy coping and problem-solving skills

*This program is not considered to be treatment, so no medical record is maintained.  At the end of the program, each family will be provided with a list of resources in their hometown to continue the healing process for their child.