Success Stories

Family Recovery Program: The Maryland Opportunity Compact

The Governor of Maryland, in partnership with private foundations and nonprofits, established the Family Recovery Program through the Maryland Opportunity Compact. By implementing this family drug treatment court, Maryland increased reunification of families with parental substance abuse and reduced by half the length of stay for children in foster care.  In two years, this research-informed strategy reunified 70% of the families served and saved the state $1,004,456.00 per year. [i]   

How the Family Recovery Program Works

The Family Recovery Program, is a family drug treatment court designed to get addicted parents into treatment and to provide intensive supports.  The program focuses on reunifying substance-abusing parents with children under the age of six, who have been placed in foster care. 

Eligible parents either voluntarily enroll in the program, or the court orders their participation.  Parents receive intensive case management, and they participate in drug treatment, family group conferencing, visitation, housing assistance, parenting classes, and other appropriate services.  Teams that work with each family include a judge, drug-treatment providers, child welfare case manager, Family Recovery Program case manager, probation staff, and attorneys for the parent, child, and child welfare agency.  In addition to weekly oversight by the court, these teams carefully monitor the parent’s progress. [ii]

For information on the Maryland Opportunity Compact, the innovative, public-private financing strategy used to launch this program and reinvest savings.

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