These data were generated as part of a three-year ESRC-funded ethnographic research project examining the care of parents who use drugs and their families, with a focus on governing practices and relations between different actors in the field. The study included mothers and fathers in drug treatment programmes, prescribed opioid substitution therapy (OST) and their families, as well as health and social care practitioners and services involved in the care of parents and families. There are TWO empirical data sets: a Parent/Family data set (122 files) and a Services/Professionals data set (183 files). Another data set contains the study materials (25 files). A metadata file lists all the file names, ID codes and participant descriptors included in the collection. Two separate files list the ID codes, pseudonym names, and descriptors of participants (parents and professionals) and services. PARENT/FAMILY DATA SET: This set of 122 text files contains interviews and fieldnotes with parent participants, their children and families. This includes data related to: 27 parents (18 mothers and 9 fathers). Fourteen parents (9 mothers, 5 fathers) were living in Scotland and twelve (8 mothers, 4 fathers) were living in England. In addition, one family member took part, a cohabiting female partner from Scotland. Eleven mothers and two fathers were single parents (living alone, with or without their children), twelve were co-habiting and one was ‘part-time’ co-habiting. Of the single parents, 6 out of 11 mothers and one father reported regular contact and coparenting/child visiting arrangements with a non-resident parent, and several parents were part of blended families where the mother, father, or both had children from previous relationships. Some co-habiting parents reported that their partner was also in drug treatment, and some said their partner did not use drugs or have problems related to their alcohol and drug use. CHILDREN: The study parents reported having a total of 75 children: 53 were aged 0-16yrs and 22 were aged over 16yrs. Of the 53 children aged 0-16yrs, 24 were living with the parent participants, seven were living elsewhere with the biological mother, ten were living with the biological father, six were in foster care, five in kinship care and one had been adopted. Some of the 22 older children were living at home with the parents but many had also been adopted, fostered or raised by kinship carers, and the whereabouts of some children were unknown. Four parents in the study were first-time parents (three were pregnant at the time of recruitment) and four parents were also grandparents. PROFESSIONALS/SERVICES DATA SET: This set of 183 text files contains fieldnotes, interviews and focus groups with 10 different health and social care services (6 teams in England, 4 teams in Scotland) and 97 professionals (36 from England, 61 from Scotland). Services included: Drug Treatment (NHS & Third Sector), Child Protection (Social Services), Family Support (Third Sector services) and Specialist Pregnancy Support (NHS & Social Services). Professional participants included: NHS Addiction Psychiatrists and Nurses, Addiction Psychologists, Health Visitors, Hospital and Community Midwives, General Practitioners, and Community Pharmacists; Local Authority Children and Families Social Workers, Kinship Care staff, Public Health and Criminal Justice staff; Third Sector Children and Family Support workers, Youth workers, Women’s workers, Criminal Justice Drug workers and Affected Family Member Support Services; and Local Commissioners and Governmental Policymakers for Children & Families and Drug Treatment services. STUDY MATERIALS DATA SET: This set of 25 text files contains the study protocol, ethical approval letters, and blank consent forms, participant information sheets, participant details sheets, and focus group, ‘workday debrief’ and interview schedules.WHY DID WE CONDUCT THIS STUDY? Children and families affected by parental drug use include some of the most disadvantaged families in society. For example, parents often have severe health and social problems, live in poverty, and their children frequently end up in the care system. Parents and families are often stigmatised and excluded from mainstream society and do not always receive the right kind of treatment and family support. These problems can be repeated from one generation to the next. Improving their lives is therefore a key goal for health and social care services as well as for government. Many countries (including the UK, Australia, USA and Canada) have established ways of working with families affected by parental drug use. However, there is wide variation in these policies and practices.

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