Drug Endangered Children Program Introduced

Officials in Fond du Lac Wednesday introduced a program that will allow them to intervene much quicker to remove a child from an environment where they are endangered by the use or sale of drugs. Fond du Lac Police Chief Bill Lamb says growing up in a home where drugs are used or sold puts children at greater risk of becoming users themselves. He says they have seen instances where young children had access to drugs and drug paraphernalia and gave an example of one drug bust where that was the case. He says just before the search warrant was executed a young child was moving along a table where there were bindles of heroin and dirty syringes. Lamb says when they are doing a drug bust and they know children might be present they stage with social workers for the children’s protection. He says that can result in an arrest and children being turned over to social workers right away. Erica Winterfeldt of the Fond du Lac County Department of Social Services says the program represents a change in philosophy in the way they protect children growing up in such environments.  Other partners in the program include the District Attorney’s Office, Fond du Lac School District, Probation and Parole, and County Public Health Department.