Hospitals Are Drug Testing Mothers Without Consent, Fueling Family Separations

This article was written by Christina Carrega for Capitol B.

jasmine Sankofa, executive director of the nonprofit organization Movement for Family Power, which is dedicated to abolishing the family policing system, agrees [that the system is broken due to social workers and other professionals with mandated reporting credentials].

jasmine Sankofa is the executive director at Movement for Family Power. (Courtesy of Jasmine Sankofa)

“There really isn’t any research that justifies the use of mandated reporting, the use of test and report,” Sankofa said, adding, “It’s bias based. It’s not research based.” 

She added that “studies have found that even if a pregnant person was using substances while they were pregnant — even if a child is born and is experiencing neonatal abstinence syndrome, for example — the recommended treatment is the approach is called, ‘eat, sleep, and console.’” 

The best health care for a newborn isn’t separation, nor is it to test and report their birthing parent to a family-policing system, Sankofa added.