SCHUMER ANNOUNCES OVER $400K IN FED FUNDING FOR ERIE COUNTY FAMILY TREATMENT DRUG COURT ENHANCEMENT INITIATIVE
HHS Grant Will Strengthen The Court’s Ability To Address Issues of Parental Drug And Alcohol Addiction In Order To Provide Children With Safe, Permanent Homes
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced $425,500 in federal funding for the Erie County Family Treatment Drug Court Enhancement Initiative. The funding was allocated through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. It will fund the Erie County Family Treatment Court, which was founded in 2001 in partnership with the Erie County Department of Social Services to handle cases involving the abuse of drugs and alcohol by parents. The court aims to provide safe, permanent and healthy homes for Erie County children in the shortest possible time.
“The Erie County Family Treatment Court is of the utmost importance, especially now, as the opioid epidemic continues to ravage our nation,” said Senator Schumer. “This federal funding will advance the Court’s ability to break the cycle of addiction and act in the best interest of children by maximizing the opportunities for reunification or preservation of the family. I’m committed to keeping Erie County families together and securing the safety of our children, so that we can build the best possible future for Upstate. This funding will support just that.”
Schumer said that this grant supports one of Erie County’s most important and unique courts, whose aim is to protect and serve the most vulnerable among us. He said that the funding further assists the court in its comprehensive mission to protect children of addicts by breaking the cycle of addiction and addressing patterns of neglect associated with parental chemical dependency. Schumer added that the Erie County Family Treatment Court is critical given that opioid abuse is on the rise. This grant will allow the court to continue to protect innocent children whose parents may be struggling with dangerous opioids.
This Mental Health and Substance Abuse Service Grant from HHS will bolster the Family Treatment Court’s objective to rescue families and children from the death grip of addiction. The court seeks to address parental substance abuse by providing early intervention and speedy enrollment of addicted parents into the appropriate treatment services in order to eventually reunify families. Since its founding, the court has served over 1200 of Erie County’s most vulnerable children.
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