New Program in New Bedford to Help Drug-Addicted Parents

NEW BEDFORD - A program that assists children with drug-addicted parents is coming to New Bedford.

Providence-based Meeting Street is bringing its Early Head Start program to the city, with 36 slots available for families seeking assistance.

Casey Ferrara, Director of Early Childhood, says Meeting Street was able to draw a lot of parallels between Providence and New Bedford when it comes to the opioid epidemic. "We see a lot of the same issues that come up here. When this opportunity came out, we thought this is another great place to hit and try to make a little bit of a dent in the problems that are going on," said Ferrara.

Through the program, each participating family will receive a 90-minute weekly visit from a Meeting Street staff member, pointing them in the direction of resources for their young child's health and education, as well as offering parenting tips.

Ferrara says Meeting Street is already working with local organizations on getting the word out on the new program.