Children are enormously resilient, but they’re also extraordinarily fragile. That’s one reason why it can be so difficult to navigate a child custody and visitation arrangement that leaves your child in the care of his or her parent for any given amount of time. After all, you probably don’t know what’s going on in that other household at all times, and your child’s other parent may have an unfavorable history of substance abuse or domestic violence.
And a child’s exposure to these types of circumstances can be damaging. For example, a child’s exposure to parental substance abuse can lead to any of the following:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Guilt
- Fear
- Behavioral issues
- Poor school performance
- An increased risk of abuse and neglect
These issues can have both short-term and long-term implications that can negatively impact your child’s physical, emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing for years to come.
What can you do to protect your child?
If you think that your child is being exposed to parental substance abuse, then you need to take action to protect him or her. This likely means seeking some sort of child custody or visitation modification. In order to further restrict the other parent’s access to your child, though, you’re going to need evidence to support your position. So, think about witnesses who may be able to testify as to the substance abuse that puts your child at risk, as well as mental health and education experts who may be able to attest to how exposure to that substance abuse has or could negatively impact your child.
Have the confidence you need to address your child custody issues
We know that it can be stressful to confront a child custody dispute. But your child’s safety and wellbeing may be on the line. That’s why it’s imperative that you know the law and how to aggressively apply it to your set of circumstances in a favorable fashion. If you’d like to learn more about how to competently and confidently do that, then we encourage you to speak with an attorney who is experienced in handling these types of cases.