Union County, North Carolina will begin treating parents with addiction problems whose children are in foster care, reported The Charlotte Observer on August 13.  Treatment will be voluntary and available through a Family Drug Treatment Court beginning this week.  The program hopes to increase reunion rates between parents and children who have been taken away because of parental substance abuse.

Social workers suggest eligible offenders.  Participants continue to go to court for a year with meetings every two weeks and visitation with their children as an incentive.

Union County is hoping to see the same results as seen in Mecklenburg County where over 7 years the Family Drug Treatment court has raised reunion rates from a half of one percent to over 25 percent. 

Officials are optimistic about the outcome of this program. "If they want their children back, then ordinarily this is something they will do," said family court administrator Martha Sue Hall.