Local News
Our Neighbor: Helping children of alcoholics 
08:27 AM CDT on Thursday, March 26, 2009
We all know north Texans who are making a difference in our community. Here at Channel 8, we celebrate these men and women in a segment we call Our Neighbor.
IRVING — The Betty Ford Center provides an intensive prevention program that gives families an opportunity to break the secret of addiction. The Five Star Kids program teaches children how to cope and communicate with parents who are alcoholics and drug addicts.
Pam Newton, project manager of the Five Star Kids program, says the goal is to lift any feeling of responsibility from the youngsters. “They gain an understanding: ‘It is not my fault. There's nothing I’ve ever done to make mom or dad drink or use drugs. I can't make them stop. I can't make them start again.’"
The program is typically geared for kids ages 7-12. Through games, talking sessions and other activities, children learn skills and develop tools to assist them in stopping the cycle of addiction in their own lives.
“I’m an addict and an alcoholic,” said parent Rob Cross. “The most important thing for me was obviously to recover from that, but secondarily to make sure my kids didn't feel the anger that I felt growing up.”
Cain Marlin is one of the young people taking part in the Five Star Kids program. “It's helped me control my anger with their problems with their addiction,” he said. “It's not my fault, and I can't cure it, and I didn't cause it."
Groups are limited to 12 children and are facilitated by counselors. Former first lady Betty Ford created the program with the stipulation that no child is ever turned away — regardless of ability to pay.
Most of the children in the class we followed are here on scholarship.
A mom who did not wish to give her name is grateful for the help her son is getting. “I felt like that we had just ruined him; that he was destined to live the same life or repeat the same patterns that we did, and that's just not true,” she said. “And the shame as a mother... I just don't know how to describe it."
Just about every child told us they felt angry and guilty when they started the class. Many expressed relief now that they understand they're not the ones who drove mom or dad to drink.
The Betty Ford Center teaches these children that recovery is a lifelong journey, and — most importantly — that this situation is not their fault.
Programs at the Betty Ford Center are completely supported by the foundation and private donors.
If you know someone we could feature in an upcoming Our Neighbor segment, please contact me at the link below.
E-mail cizaguirre@wfaa.com
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