The first thing to know about having kids at site is that most harm reduction workers are not mandatory reporters. This is not true of harm reduction workers who also happen to have certain kinds of licensure; however most people who work at harm reduction programs are not mandatory reporters, which allows them the discretion to not report if they see children in situations that would trigger mandated reporting for some licensed professionals.

Many harm reduction programs struggle with this question because the desire to protect children is paramount. However, most harm reduction workers, and nearly every participant, knows someone who has been traumatized or abused by the existing foster care system. This complicates the ethics of whether or not to report to authorities that a child is living with drug users.

The way that most harm reduction organizations handle the question of providing services in front of the children of their participants is to ask people not to bring their kids if possible, with the understanding that they are not mandatory reporters, while at the same time ensuring that people who report being parents are offered appropriate attention, referrals, education, and support.