Generation O signs DEA agreement before opioid settlement conference

Generation O announced a new collaboration agreement with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration days before the first National Opioid Settlement Conference in Denver. The nonprofit says the deal and the conference give children exposed to opioids during pregnancy a stronger chance of being included in settlement spending and support efforts.

Why it matters: - Generation O says children exposed to opioids during pregnancy have been left out of most opioid settlement spending. - The nonprofit points to data showing less than one-half of one percent of reported opioid settlement dollars has gone to children affected by prenatal opioid exposure and their families. - Public health data suggests hundreds of thousands of children, and possibly more than one million, may have been affected nationwide. - The new DEA agreement is meant to expand prevention education and family-centered awareness.

What happened: - Generation O announced a formal Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. - The agreement creates a framework for collaboration on public education, prevention awareness, and community outreach. - The announcement came days before Generation O is set to present at the inaugural National Opioid Settlement Conference in Denver from June 17-19. - Generation O says its message in Denver is that settlement leaders should not forget children exposed during pregnancy.

The details: - The conference will bring together attorneys general, policymakers, public health leaders, advocates, and community organizations. - Participants will discuss how opioid settlement dollars shape recovery and prevention efforts nationwide. - Generation O says many affected children experience developmental, sensory, emotional, behavioral, feeding, sleep, and learning challenges over time. - Families often navigate those needs with limited guidance or support. - Lenette Serlo, CEO of Generation O, said families need information, support, and intervention early enough to change long-term outcomes. - Serlo also said parents raising opioid-exposed children need caregiver education, developmental guidance, regulation strategies, and early support. - Generation O was founded by volunteer parents and advocates, including parents raising opioid-exposed children, after repeated struggles to find answers and resources. - The organization says its goal is to support children and families through advocacy, caregiver education, mentorship, and community-centered support. - More information is available at Generation O's website.

Between the lines: - The announcement is as much a lobbying push as a partnership update. - Generation O is trying to move children with prenatal opioid exposure from the margins of the settlement debate into the core of spending decisions. - The group is betting that early education and family support can influence long-term outcomes, not just immediate crisis care.

What's next: - Generation O will take its case to the National Opioid Settlement Conference in Denver. - The organization hopes the conference will drive long-term investment in children and families affected by prenatal opioid exposure. - The nonprofit also expects the new DEA agreement to widen its reach into communities nationwide. - Generation O says it wants settlement leaders to make children part of future recovery and prevention spending decisions.