Betty Ford Center Expands Children’s Program to Help Kids Impacted by Addiction

A growing number of children across the United States are being impacted by substance use disorder at home, and local experts say the need for support has never been greater.

At the Betty Ford Center, staff members are expanding their children’s services to meet that demand. According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly one in four children lives with a parent struggling with addiction.

Leaders at the center say their program is designed to help young people better understand addiction, reduce feelings of shame, and build emotional resilience. Through guided activities and peer support, children learn that they are not alone and that their parent’s addiction is not their fault.

One activity uses symbolic objects, like rocks, to represent the emotional weight children often carry. Staff say it helps kids express what they may not yet have the words to explain.

Vice President Heidi Wallace says the program is seeing an increase in participation and has already expanded beyond the Coachella Valley to locations in Colorado and Minnesota. However, the program relies heavily on donor support to continue growing and reaching more families.

The goal, staff say, is to not only help children cope, but to support healing across the entire family. By giving kids the tools they need, the program aims to break cycles of addiction and create stronger, healthier futures.

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