A new national report is raising alarms about the growing danger synthetic opioids pose to young children, arguing that federal policy has not kept pace with the risks tied to parental substance use inside the home.
The study, released by the Center for the Rights of Abused Children and authored by Washington University researcher Sarah Font, calls for clearer federal standards to define when drug use by caregivers puts infants and young children at immediate risk of serious harm.
The report points to a sharp rise in fentanyl-related exposure and deaths among young children, driven by the spread of high-potency synthetic opioids. Nationally, fentanyl-related deaths were more than 38 times higher in 2021 than in 2013, while exposure among young children increased more than 500% between 2016 and 2023. Opioids are now the leading substance involved in fatal poisonings for children age 5 and under.
Researchers say recent state-level data underscores the severity of the issue. In Washington, 14 of 16 child fatalities or near-fatalities reviewed in early 2025 involved substance use, with most cases linked to families already known to child protective services. In Oregon, officials reported 21 child deaths in the first eight months of 2025 involving families with prior CPS contact, with the vast majority tied to parental substance abuse histories.
The report argues that the presence of substances like fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine in homes with young children can create life-threatening conditions, particularly when caregivers are impaired. It highlights scenarios such as children left in the care of an incapacitated adult or exposed to unsecured drugs.
Font recommends that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services establish clearer national guidance under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to define when parental substance use constitutes “imminent risk of serious harm.” The report notes that other federal agencies already treat impairment or drug presence as inherently dangerous in different contexts, such as driving or drug activity near schools.
Advocates behind the report say the lack of a consistent federal standard leaves child protection systems to interpret risk unevenly across states.
“No reasonable parent would leave their baby with someone impaired by fentanyl or heroin,” said Darcy Olsen, founder and CEO of the Center for the Rights of Abused Children. “Federal law already recognizes that risk on the road and near schools. It’s time to recognize the same risk in the presence of young children.”
The report emphasizes that child protective services should still have discretion to determine when cases do not pose immediate danger, but argues that clearer federal guidance would help agencies better identify and respond to the most dangerous situations.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].