For children, families
and communities
LASTING
HOPE
Changing lives today
for a better tomorrow
SYSTEMS
IMPACT
Training, resources,
and best practices
SMARTER SOLUTIONS
STRONGER ALLIANCES
Building connected
communities
Our Impact
Every number represents children identified earlier, professionals better equipped to respond, and communities working together to create safer futures.
20+
Years of Operation
32,000+
Children Helped
(Estimate for 2025 Only)
101+
Training Sessions
(2025 Only)
500+
State, Local & Tribal Partners Supported
5,134+
Professionals Trained in 2025
Real Stories
Scroll through real stories featuring the very real impact that NADEC imparts.
DEC-Aware SRO
A School Resource Officer (SRO) trained in DEC Awareness and Handle With Care noticed warning signs in a child and took the steps to learn more.
He discovered that one parent had been arrested the previous night and the other while the child was at school, meaning the child was about to take the bus home to an empty house.
The SRO intervened, prevented the child from leaving, and made an additional report to the Department of Children Services to ensure support was put in place for the child.
At-Risk Teen
Law enforcement identified a teenager in need of clothes, shoes, and hygiene items.
He had been in and out of foster care and the Department of Children Services custody for most of his life due to drug exposure and other unfortunate events. Law enforcement reached out the local DEC Coordinator.
Through the DEC Coordinator and their team, they were able to secure funds to purchase new clothes, socks, under garments, shoes, personal hygiene products, and school supplies for the teen. They also connected him to other resources, and caring adults to offer him hope and show him he is not alone.
Runaway Child
After locating and returning a runaway child, law enforcement officers determined the child was experiencing a clothing disparity and contacted the local DEC Coordinator for assistance.
The DEC Coordinator's DEC Alliance - who had previously received monetary donations to assist children in similar circumstances - stepped in to help. They were able to take the child shopping for new clothes.
Teen In Need
A School Resource Officer asked the DEC Coordinator to accompany him on a visit to a female student who displayed behavioral issues, including vaping.
She revealed she had been couch hopping, had no familial support system and needed to re-enter mental health services.
The SRO, DEC Coordinator and County Juvenile Magistrate aided the young lady in mentorship, provided clothing and food, helped her apply for her first job, transported her to and from her first interview, and checked on her welfare after her foster care placement.
Multi-County Support
Through multi-county collaborative efforts a DEC Alliance was able to bring Dr. Ira Chasnoff to their area to train their Alliance and community members on “The Mystery of Risk; Drugs, Alcohol and the Vulnerable Child.”
Following the training, the DEC Alliance established a subcommittee to implement Family Resiliency Centers and Handle With Care Initiatives in their area.
Front Porch Funpacks
This project created a way for School Resource Officers to check in on the welfare of students while providing a fun and needed gift to the student’s family to help through the pandemic and ease the visits.
The Front Porch Fun Packs were filled with hygiene items, local organizations resource information, lock boxes, snacks, and games to help encourage family engagement. Community partners donated the items and helped assemble the Front Porch Fun Packs.
Family Treatment Court
With the combined help of a parent partner and members of a DEC Alliance, a community has been exploring an opportunity to bring Family Treatment Court to their area.
It is much needed and has worked well in other counties in the same state.
The dedication and initiative the DEC Alliance members are taking to get things started in their areas has been inspiring.
The Power of the Ecosystem
BUILDING ALLIANCES
Bringing agencies and communities together around a common vision and a collaborative, coordinated response.
TRAINING
Equipping people with the knowledge and skills to recognize and respond to drug endangered children.
AWARENESS
Building understanding of drug endangered children and the impact of substance misuse.
SUPPORTING MDTs
Strengthening multidisciplinary teams through ongoing support, resources and partnerships.
COMMUNITY RESPONSE
Creating collaborative, sustainable responses which protect children, and transform communities.
The NADEC Ecosystem means Better Outcomes for children, families and communities!
Children Are Safer
Families Receive Support
Professional Collaboration
Stronger Systems
Healthier, More Resilient Communities
How can we help you?
Group of multidisciplinary professionals in a circle, hands meeting and glowing in the center.
People at a table, seeing a presentation, with paper in the foreground talking about child welfare.
Woman holding a clipboard smiling, with a large arrow pointing upward to signify growth.
Desk with stacks of books to signify resources.