Intervention and prevention are keys to DEC in Cherokee County |
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Thank you for your generous support of the
Cherokee County Fund Drive! |
The Iowa Alliance for Drug Endangered Children defines drug endangered children as children who are at risk of suffering physical harm or neglect as a result of illegal drug use, possession, manufacturing, cultivation or distribution. They may also be children whose caretakers' substance misuse interferes with his or her ability to parent and provide a safe and nurturing environment.
Iowa's drug endangered children efforts are a coordinated response to the impact of parental/caregiver substance abuse on Iowa children, who are often found to be living in deplorable conditions; neglected and suffering. Iowa professionals are coming together as teams to provide immediate intervention and follow-up care for these children.
The Iowa Alliance for Drug Endangered Children reflects an advocacy community in Iowa driven by the need to stand up for Iowa children endangered by their parents or caregivers illicit drug use. The Iowa DEC community, like similar collaborative efforts in other states, is a committed group of professionals from multiple disciplines dedicated to finding solutions to the problems children face as the result of living with substance abusing parents, and to build a better world for these children.
As part of these collaborative efforts the Cherokee County DEC was developed and put into action. Meagan Meyer, DEC Coordinator for Cherokee and Ida Counties wears many hats to help in those efforts. Her job is is all about bringing people and organizations together to help children in drug endangered situations. She facilitates monthly meetings and coordinates fundraisers and educational opportunities for professionals. In addition to that she organizes activities for drug endangered children and families, reviews and processes scholarship applications submitted for DEC children, arranges speaking engagements to educate the community about DEC, and spreads the word about DEC.
In Cherokee County DEC serves drug endangered children and families as a means of both intervention and prevention. For example, DEC provides drug residue testing kits to local law enforcement as well as provide drug testing supplies and finances to cover lab expenses. They also provide clothes, coats, food, school supplies, and other necessary items to drug affected children. As a means of prevention, DEC provides scholarships and equipment for sporting events, swimming lessons, and other activities to drug affected children. Then to continue educating others to join the cause of DEC they help send DEC members to the National DEC conference, the Iowa DEC conference and other relevant conferences. Then as part of community awareness efforts DEC also sponsors prescription drug drop-off events.
The DEC office for Cherokee County is located on the Cherokee Mental Health Institute campus on West Cedar. For assistance people can contact Meyer at 712-541-1826.
Funding from the Cherokee County Fund Drive is an important part of helping DEC provide assistance. For example, funds from the Cherokee County Fund Drive help provide basic necessities to drug-affected children, provide scholarships to drug endangered children and send members of their team to conferences and continuing education opportunities.
Last year the funds donated to DEC through the Cherokee County Fund Drive were used to provide scholarships to children of families affected by drugs and alcohol. The scholarships helped pay for the children to participate in local activities such as swimming passes to the Bacon Aquatic Center and fees or equipment for sports such as baseball/softball, football, and soccer. It is the hope of DEC that by providing these scholarships along with other services from other agencies,they will help to eliminate the opportunities for use of drugs and alcohol in these children now and in future.
DEC Members include the following:
Meyer says she serves DEC to help drug affected children become involved in the community and in healthy activities that they otherwise might not be able to participate in. In addition to financial support through the Cherokee County Fund Drive people can also support DEC with donations of clothing, shoes, coats, food, school supplies and other necessity type items by dropping them off at the Cherokee Police Department.
To find out more about the National Drug Endangered Children Alliance please visit their website at http://www.nationaldec.org
To help support the Drug Endangered Children Alliance in Cherokee County please, donate generously in one of the following three ways:
Iowa's drug endangered children efforts are a coordinated response to the impact of parental/caregiver substance abuse on Iowa children, who are often found to be living in deplorable conditions; neglected and suffering. Iowa professionals are coming together as teams to provide immediate intervention and follow-up care for these children.
The Iowa Alliance for Drug Endangered Children reflects an advocacy community in Iowa driven by the need to stand up for Iowa children endangered by their parents or caregivers illicit drug use. The Iowa DEC community, like similar collaborative efforts in other states, is a committed group of professionals from multiple disciplines dedicated to finding solutions to the problems children face as the result of living with substance abusing parents, and to build a better world for these children.
As part of these collaborative efforts the Cherokee County DEC was developed and put into action. Meagan Meyer, DEC Coordinator for Cherokee and Ida Counties wears many hats to help in those efforts. Her job is is all about bringing people and organizations together to help children in drug endangered situations. She facilitates monthly meetings and coordinates fundraisers and educational opportunities for professionals. In addition to that she organizes activities for drug endangered children and families, reviews and processes scholarship applications submitted for DEC children, arranges speaking engagements to educate the community about DEC, and spreads the word about DEC.
In Cherokee County DEC serves drug endangered children and families as a means of both intervention and prevention. For example, DEC provides drug residue testing kits to local law enforcement as well as provide drug testing supplies and finances to cover lab expenses. They also provide clothes, coats, food, school supplies, and other necessary items to drug affected children. As a means of prevention, DEC provides scholarships and equipment for sporting events, swimming lessons, and other activities to drug affected children. Then to continue educating others to join the cause of DEC they help send DEC members to the National DEC conference, the Iowa DEC conference and other relevant conferences. Then as part of community awareness efforts DEC also sponsors prescription drug drop-off events.
The DEC office for Cherokee County is located on the Cherokee Mental Health Institute campus on West Cedar. For assistance people can contact Meyer at 712-541-1826.
Funding from the Cherokee County Fund Drive is an important part of helping DEC provide assistance. For example, funds from the Cherokee County Fund Drive help provide basic necessities to drug-affected children, provide scholarships to drug endangered children and send members of their team to conferences and continuing education opportunities.
Last year the funds donated to DEC through the Cherokee County Fund Drive were used to provide scholarships to children of families affected by drugs and alcohol. The scholarships helped pay for the children to participate in local activities such as swimming passes to the Bacon Aquatic Center and fees or equipment for sports such as baseball/softball, football, and soccer. It is the hope of DEC that by providing these scholarships along with other services from other agencies,they will help to eliminate the opportunities for use of drugs and alcohol in these children now and in future.
DEC Members include the following:
- Dawn Sickelka (CPPC/Decat Coordinator)
- Meagan Meyer (DEC Coordinator)
- Ashley Volkert (DHS)
- Melony Storm (Parent Partner Coordinator)
- Barb Staver (Sheriff’s Department).
- Jeanne Feeck (DHS)
- Kristi Krager (DHS)
- Amanda Ahrenstorff (DHS)
- Kristal Phillips (County Attorney)
- Julie Case (Police Department)
- Cindi Prather (Plains Area Mental Health)
- Lynn Ivarson (Cherokee Regional Medical Center)
- Roxann Smith (Jackson Recovery)
- Jan Carlson (Public Health)
Meyer says she serves DEC to help drug affected children become involved in the community and in healthy activities that they otherwise might not be able to participate in. In addition to financial support through the Cherokee County Fund Drive people can also support DEC with donations of clothing, shoes, coats, food, school supplies and other necessity type items by dropping them off at the Cherokee Police Department.
To find out more about the National Drug Endangered Children Alliance please visit their website at http://www.nationaldec.org
To help support the Drug Endangered Children Alliance in Cherokee County please, donate generously in one of the following three ways:
- Click on the donate button on this page to make your generous donations online.
- Mail your donations to: Cherokee County Fund Drive PO Box 21, Cherokee, Iowa 51012
- Make donations at any Cherokee County Financial Institution
From left to right: Dawn Sickelka (CPPC/Decat Coordinator); Meagan Meyer (DEC Coordinator); Ashley Volkert (DHS); Melony Storm (Parent Partner Coordinator); Barb Staver (Sheriff’s Department).
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Thank you for supporting
Drug Endangered Children in Cherokee County through the Cherokee County Fund Drive |
