From 2011 to 2021, more than 300,000 children lost a parent to fatal drug overdoses. Despite billions set aside in opioid settlement funds, grandparents who have stepped up to raise those children get very little support.
COVID was not an equal-opportunity destroyer. American Indian and Alaska Native children were orphaned at three times the rate of white children, and Black children at double the rate. Without support, children who lose a parent or caregiver are at risk of developing lasting problems with depression, lower academic achievement, and behavioral issues.
Children who experienced the death of a parent due to Covid, gun violence and opioid overdoses often fail to get counted or served.
Parental death has been rising in the U.S. due to COVID-19, the overdose epidemic and gun violence. In this first part of Forgotten Children, we look at efforts to help children grieving from the loss of parents to gun violence.
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