TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – According to the United Way for the Wabash Valley’s Substance Use Disorders Council, 295 of 400 kids removed from households by child services were due to parent alcohol and drug use.

This statistic is part of a report released by the council. UWWV’s Executive Director Richard Payonk said these reports will help measure the problem in our area.

“Members in our community will tell you that we have a substance abuse disorder problem,” Payonk said. “However, our community partners that we’re working with have to be able to measure that and put it into scale so we know the programs we’re trying to run are making a difference.”

The report also said that nearly 12% of Indiana children live in a home with at least one parent who has a substance use disorder.

Dana Simons, Executive Director for The Next Step Foundation, stated that substance abuse is an ongoing issue.

“This is a lifelong condition,” Simons said. “This is something that we manage every single day and it’s very complex.”

The Next Step Foundation provides those struggling with substance disorders with peer coaches. Simons explained that these peer coaches have walked the same road as those is recovery programs.

“They’ve gone through the recovery journey and so there is an immediate bond that gets built,” Simons said.