A National Survey of Services for Women with Substance Use Issues and Their Children in Canada: Challenges for Knowledge Translation

Across cultures, approximately one third of people with drug dependence are women of child-bearing age. There is emerging evidence regarding the effectiveness of integrating pregnancy, parenting, and child development services with addiction services. In 2007, we conducted a national survey of addiction agencies serving women to provide preliminary information on available services. Approximately one half of the program managers reported providing some type of pregnancy-, parenting-, or child-related services, the majority of which were external referrals, and very few agencies provided any services for children under 5 years. These findings indicate a gap in services in Canada. Reliable data on services for women with substance use issues and their children is essential to ensure appropriate resource allocation. Program managers reported preferring to receive practice-related research information through face-to-face contact, information which will be helpful to knowledge translation efforts.