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Woman arrested after smoking crack in front of kids

Posted at 10:26 PM, Dec 01, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-01 22:26:29-05

Naples police raided a hotel room at the Gulf Coast Inn Thursday.

Acting on a tip, they arrested 60-year-old Donna Pollio.  Officers say as they approached the room, Pollio was seen trying to hide crack cocaine and paraphernalia.

An officer said he found a crack pipe in her walker.  The report says Pollio was also smoking crack in front of two children who were in the room.

"It's hard to imagine, but it's something that we've seen increasing over the years," Jackie Stephens, CEO of the Children's Advocacy Center.

The center works with children who have been sexually assaulted, or removed from families where the parent is addicted to drugs.

"When they start using drugs and abusing them, and getting to the point where you know they're not caring about themselves, their not caring about their child, said Stephens.

The lack of attention means these kids become prone to getting in trouble when they get older.

It's a cycle Stephens is trying to put an end to.

"We have parent educators who go into the home, work with the families to give them a better idea of how their behaviors affect their parenting."

But some of these kids ultimately end up in foster care.  Stephens says if there is a shortage of foster parents in Southwest Florida, kids are often placed in homes across the state.

If you are interested in adopting a child, you can call 855-933-5437.