Breaking the Cycle: Supporting Children with Prenatal Substance Exposure
Breaking the Cycle (BTC) is an early identification and prevention program designed to reduce risk and to enhance the development for substance-exposed children (prenatal – 6 years) by providing services which address maternal addiction problems and the mother-child relationship through a community based cross-systemic model.
Several research and evaluation project are occurring through BTC, including a retrospective chart review to provide a profile of infants and young children who have been exposed to substances prenatally and explore how improvements in the mother-child relationship enhance child development outcomes. Dr. Andrews is also a co-applicant on The Early Relationships Study, led by Dr. Nicole Racine at the University of Ottawa. This CIHR-funded project evaluates the effectiveness of BTC for infants and young children. See the video below for more info.
Dr. Andrews is Principal Evaluator on a recently completed project: Healing through Relationships – Responding to Mothers and Young Children Disproportionately Affected by COVID-19. This PHAC-funded project is conducted was being conducted in collaboration with Dr. Debra Pepler, Dr. Mary Motz, Margaret Leslie, Bhupinder Heer, and Mothercraft’s Breaking the Cycle program. The goal of the Healing through Relationships project was to decrease COVID-related isolation experienced by mothers and children who could no longer access supports for health and social services, as well as to increase access to an attachment-based parenting intervention (Circle of Security-Parenting). See the final report below:
Mothercraft Healing Through Relationships Affected by COVID – Summary Report
Andrews, N. C. Z., Motz, M., Bondi, B. C., Leslie, M., & Pepler, D. J. (2019). Using a developmental-relational approach to understand the impact of interpersonal violence in women who struggle with substance use. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16, 1-14. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16234861
Motz, M., Andrews, N. C. Z., Bondi, B. C., Leslie, M., & Pepler, D. J. (2019). Addressing the impact of interpersonal violence in women who struggle with substance use through developmental-relational strategies in a community program. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16, 1-9. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16214197
Andrews, N. C. Z., Motz, M., Pepler, D. J., Jeong, J. J., & Khoury, J. (2018). Engaging mothers with substance use issues and their children in early intervention: Understanding use of service and outcomes. Child Abuse and Neglect, 83, 10-20. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.06.011