WA State Supplies Fentanyl ‘Lock-Boxes’ to Drug Abusing Parents

The bill was passed in 2021, but not implemented until 2023, but now some state officials and other critics say it's actually hurting children more.

  WA State has been issuing fentanyl, or drug 'lock-boxes' to drug abusing parents

According to KING-5 TV, who began examining the situation in 2023, a number of drug-abusing or drug-hooked parents still have custody of their children and they've been supplied with a lock box to store their drugs. The boxes are similar to the one pictured.

The law, called the Keeping Families Together Act, has made it much harder for the Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF), and Child Protective Services (CPS) to remove children from homes where their parents or guardians are known drug abusers.

The Democratic legislator who introduced the bill claimed irreparable damage occurs when a child is pulled from their home.  However, many foster parents and others who have and continue to care for children who are taken from dangerous homes say this new law is literally killing youth.

DCYF has been, since last year, supplying what are referred to as "fentanyl boxes," which are 'tailored' to the specific needs of the adults in the home. It's a lock box where they can store narcotics, presumably to keep them away from children.

However, while foster home numbers are down 28 percent, deaths and near-deaths in WA are up 114 percent, according to CPS and other officials.

Some blame it on the new law, which makes it much harder for children to be removed, others say the lock box idea was really bad in the first place. Critics say how can the state expect a drug abuser to have the presence of mind to store their drugs and other dangerous paraphernalia in the box when they're 'under the influence?' There have been a number of incidents where a young child or toddler came into contact with, for example, tin foil used to 'cook' or prepare drugs, and even skin contact with fentanyl residue can be deadly.

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In one such case, where a lock box and other non-child-removal procedures were used instead of taking a baby from a home in Port Orchard, the child was found dead in their car seat weeks later. The body was located in a nearby nature preserve.

According to KING-5 legislators plan to introduce legislation to change the Keeping Families Together Act.