Children of Addiction Awareness Week
Children of Addiction (COA) Awareness Week is an annual event celebrated around the world during the week of Valentine’s Day. This year it will be held February 9 – 15. It is sponsored by the National Association for Children of Addiction, NACoA.org, whose mission is to eliminate the adverse impact of a parent’s alcohol and other drug use on children and families. As the NACoA.org explains,
1 in 4 children under the age of 18 years
“lives in a family impacted by parental addiction” (see first box in graphic below).
We are the voice for these children, and have been for over 30 years. We are fueled by a deep and abiding passion to break the silence for millions of families entrapped by the “no talk” rule. We work to ensure that they can find their own voice, and by sharing their experiences find the hope and healing they deserve. Source: About NACoA.org
So to answer the oft asked question….
Why Children of Addiction Awareness Week?
Please check out this graphic prepared and shared by NACoA.org.
Resource to Help Children of Addiction
I urge you to take some time and browse through the National Association for Children of Addiction website (NACoA.org). One of the most important things we all can do is put children in contact with adults who can help them. These include other family members and friends and professionals, like primary care providers, social workers, teachers, faith community leaders and the like.
You might also want to read my post covering Children of addiction Awareness Week 2018. I go into great detail about the harms of a parent’s addiction (aka severe substance use disorder) on children and offer suggestions for what can be done to help them.
Lisa Frederiksen
Latest posts by Lisa Frederiksen (see all)
- Does a Loved One Have to Hit Bottom? - November 20, 2022
- Resources for Parents of Children with Substance Use and Mental Disorders - October 18, 2022
- 4 Things to Support Brain Health and Function for Recovery - August 30, 2022