Better Kids Club is a non-profit organization that helps children of addicts or those who have suffered from these issues related to addiction, neglect, and abandonment. Our mission is to break the cycle of addiction. We believe that by working together, we can give our kids a better chance of living a healthy, productive life free from substance abuse and emotional entanglement.
Research shows that children who live with parents or guardians with addiction to alcohol or drugs are more likely to become addicts themselves without intervention. We at the Better Kids Club are working towards a solution. We want to team up with other people, agencies and parents in the community who are concerned and willing to work together to explore the recovery process is for these children and young adults.
Children of addicts or alcoholics have often been emotionally scarred by the things that they have seen and experienced, in most cases being overlooked and undervalued during the critical stages in their development. The degree to harm and abuse varies from case to case but it is certain that in every case these children have been negatively affected.
These: ACES”, (Adverse Childhood Experiences) serve as barriers that prevent our children from living healthy productive lives, damaging their ability to express emotions, their belief systems, self-worth, and their decision-making process. The severity of the effects is not always evident right away. In many instances these kids become detached and withdrawn, unable to process or communicate what they have seen or how they feel.
We, at the Better Kids Club believe that this is the missing component in the “Family Recovery Process”. It is foolish to assume that because parents or family members find recovery and begin the healing process that their children will naturally be healthy as well.
The truth is, that the process of gaining control of our lives after active addiction is lengthy and very uncertain. Even after the addict addresses the damaged areas in their lives and recovers, after years of effort and much expense, the children still have a quality life that leaves them with little, and a poor vision of what lies ahead.