How Do I Find Temporary Housing For My Kids While I’m In Rehab?

Parents who are facing drug or alcohol addiction may be concerned about where their children will stay while they are attending a rehab program.

Fortunately, there are several options available.

How Do I Find Temporary Housing For My Kids While I’m In Rehab?

Finding temporary housing for your children while you are in a rehab program can be stressful, but options do exist.

These include options at different levels of care, such as residential rehab facilities and outpatient treatment programs.

Consider All Of Your Treatment Options

You may be able to solve the need for housing for your children by considering all of your options for addiction treatment.

For example, some residential treatment programs allow children, while outpatient treatment allows clients to continue living at home.

However, keep in mind that the level of care you require depends on the severity of your addiction, with more severe addictions requiring more intensive levels of care, such as inpatient treatment.

Following these examples, we’ll look at more options for temporary housing for your children in case neither of these apply to you.

Rehab Centers That Accept Children

Some residential treatment centers accept families or mothers and their children, depending on a couple of factors.

One of those factors is how old your children are, as most family-friendly addiction treatment centers have an age limit for children allowed to stay.

Another factor may be how many children you have, as these rehab centers may not be able to accommodate larger families.

Rehab Centers That Offer Outpatient Treatment

An outpatient treatment program allows clients to receive addiction treatment and return home at night. There are different levels of care within outpatient treatment, but they all allow you to live at home.

Outpatient treatment may not be suitable for people with a severe substance use disorder (SUD), so be sure to follow care recommendations from treatment specialists and other medical professionals.

Asking A Relative For Help

If you have trusted family members who may be able to help, consider asking them to house your children for the duration of your addiction treatment.

This may include your parents, a sibling, an aunt or uncle, or grandparents. Family members may be eager to see you seek care and be happy to help out.

If you are able, offering some sort of financial support may make it easier for loved ones to say yes to looking after your kids.

If these relationships have been strained due to the effects of substance abuse, you may need to consider other alternatives. However, once family members see that you’re receiving care, they may later agree to help.

Asking Trusted Friends To House Your Children

Like family members, trusted friends may be willing to go the extra mile for you to help you receive treatment.

Consider asking a friend who is in the same school district as you, so that your child won’t have to switch schools if necessary.

Again, offering to pay them for their help could go a long way, if it’s possible for you to do so.

Temporarily Placing Your Children In Foster Care

You will want to be sure of your state’s custody laws before considering this option, but one possibility to house your kids while you are in a rehab program is to temporarily place them in foster care.

This form of foster care is usually called respite care, which can be completely voluntary, meaning that you would receive your children back as soon as you decide to terminate the agreement.

In most states, there is a limit to how long this kind of agreement can last, so you will want to be sure that it lasts the length of your treatment or that you have a viable solution once it ends.

Find Substance Abuse Treatment Today

If you are looking for substance abuse treatment for yourself or a loved one, call Addiction Resource today for information about your recovery options and what the treatment process looks like.

Written by the Addiction Resource Editorial Staff