The Rachel Defends You podcast, hosted by criminal defense attorney Rachel Kugel, spotlights frontline voices working to protect vulnerable families and improve outcomes in the justice system. In this episode, Kugel welcomes Lenette Serlo and Andrea Bonhiver of Generation O for a substantive discussion on practical frameworks that support children with prenatal opioid exposure and the caregivers who raise them. For more information, visit The Kugel Law Firm.
Meet Lenette Serlo and Andrea Bonhiver
Serlo and Bonhiver lead Generation O as CEO and founding member, respectively, guiding a child-centered initiative that advances early-life health, caregiver readiness, and multi-agency collaboration. Their work brings together healthcare professionals, legal advocates, educators, and community organizations to create stable environments for infants and young children affected by opioid exposure. By building clear pathways for screening, assessment, and supportive services, Generation O helps jurisdictions adopt consistent practices that reduce harm, strengthen family bonds, and improve long-term developmental outcomes.
Episode Insights
This conversation presents a clear roadmap for policy and practice adoption across courts, clinics, and community programs:
- Defining the needs of opioid-exposed children, including common medical, developmental, and behavioral challenges across infancy and early childhood.
- Trauma-informed care principles that align caregivers, pediatric teams, and court-linked providers around predictable routines, sensory supports, and safe attachment.
- Practical caregiver training modules that focus on soothing strategies, feeding considerations, sleep hygiene, and coordinated follow-ups with pediatric specialists.
- Early screening and referrals that integrate hospital discharge planning with home-visiting programs, early intervention services, and child-care partnerships.
- Cross-system communication protocols that respect privacy standards while enabling timely data-sharing among defenders, social workers, and treatment providers.
- Funding and sustainability approaches that leverage public-health grants, local foundations, and outcome-based reporting to scale programs responsibly.
- Actionable steps for defense-aligned stakeholders, including checklists for court advocacy, referral directories for families, and strategies to document program participation for sentencing and diversion.
Tune In Now
The full conversation is available through the Rachel Defends You podcast page at The Kugel Law Firm and on major podcast platforms. Additional information about Generation O programs, resources, and collaboration opportunities can be found on the Generation O website. Listeners seeking program models, training materials, or partnership options can review the episode transcript for linked resources and step-by-step references discussed during the interview.
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