ARLINGTON – Parents in this state get a “Big Fat F.”

That’s what Ava Blair Porter said after researching homelessness.

She said many addicts get hooked on drugs by their parents. “Fingers are pointed right back to the parents, who are drug addicts themselves,” she said.

She said there should be a “no tolerance policy for parents who introduce drugs to them.”

“Foster homes would do wonders” for those kids, she added.

She said parents need to be more involved with their kids.

“We need parents to be parents, not friends,” she said. “Don’t try to be Mr. or Miss Cool.”

She said technology has taken over too much of their lives. “Don’t let TV or video games raise them,” she said.

Being a “hands off” parent isn’t cool. “Let them be who they are” has not worked, Porter said.

Parents have a role, she said. Children need guidance, accountability and discipline. “They need something stable to go back to.”

She said too many parents just let their kids go someplace and stay overnight – without even knowing the other parents. Parents who are dating also need to be careful.

“Watch who you bring into your house,” she said, including babysitters.

Porter said more help needs to focus on keeping people in their homes. Such as if someone gets in a car accident, pitching in to help could keep them from becoming homeless. Porter said she echoes Snohomish County Sheriff Ty Trenary in that law enforcement is vested in ending drug addiction and homelessness, but the community needs to be vested, too.

“Stop being in denial. Being PC in this state is a big problem,” she said of political correctness.

Any solution needs to involve the community and social services working together.

“It takes a village to combat drugs and homelessness,” she said. “Everybody’s doing their own thing.”