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Professional practice

Supporting kinship families affected by parental substance use.

Professionals can reduce stigma and system burden by recognizing the actual caregiver, using person-first language, returning adult responsibilities to adults and making referrals that connect.

Grandmother and granddaughter working together

Part of our professional and community education series. See all professional resources for schools, health services, community organizations and other systems supporting kinship families.

Information reviewed September 2026. Services and program details can change, so use the linked PEI source when current access information matters.

Start with the family in front of you. Parental substance use can be central to a kinship placement, but professionals should not assume substance use is the cause of every grandfamily or that every person who uses substances has a substance use disorder.

PEI grandfamilies research shows why this deserves specific professional attention.

In the 2022 PEI study of 12 grandparents raising grandchildren, 11 participants had adult children living with mental illness and/or substance use disorders that prevented them from providing care. The sample is qualitative and small, but it documents how substance use can shape caregiving, grief, uncertainty and system navigation in PEI families.

UPEI IslandScholar: Stepping Up and Stepping In

Use person-first, factual language.

CCSA identifies stigmatizing language as a barrier to treatment and recommends person-first wording. Describe the behaviour or health condition instead of defining the person by it.

Prefer

"parent with a substance use disorder," "parent who uses substances," "return to substance use," or the specific observed behaviour.

Avoid

Labels such as "addict," "druggie," "alcoholic," "substance abuser," "clean" or "dirty" when describing a person or test.

Do not make the caregiver translate every system.

Grandparents and relatives may already be coordinating school, health, Child Protection, court, benefits and the parent's treatment system. Each professional should own the referral or follow-up that belongs to their service rather than sending the caregiver away with another unexplained phone number.

Ask what the child has been responsible for.

A child affected by parental substance use may have monitored the parent, cared for siblings, hidden the situation, managed emergencies or tried to keep adults calm. A new placement should actively transfer those responsibilities back to adults.

Build relational safety, not just physical placement safety.

  • Give clear, reliable information about what will happen next.
  • Do not use the child as messenger between the parent and caregiver.
  • Plan parent contact around the child's safety and regulation, not adult guilt.
  • Preserve healthy sibling, family and cultural connections.
  • Recognize that missed contact and recurrence of substance use may reactivate fear even when the current placement is stable.

Know the PEI family-support routes.

Health PEI's Youth and Family Addiction Services explicitly supports youth and their families or caregivers. Current offerings include CRAFT and the seniors group Friends Supporting Friends. The 24/7 Mental Health and Addictions Phone Line is 1-833-553-6983.

PEI Youth & Family Addiction Services

Overdose safety is an adult responsibility.

When opioid use is relevant, help adults know how to access naloxone and emergency information. Do not structure a plan in which the child monitors the parent or is expected to administer naloxone.

Canadian evidence used in this practice guide

2-page professional PDF

Parental Substance Use & Kinship Families: Quick Practice Guide

Use for staff orientation, case conferences or referral planning.

Download professional guide
Make a warm referralTrauma-informed communication