Lost Childhood: Growing Up In An Alcoholic Family is a half-hour program told in three parts. The first
part begins in 1986 at a summer camp retreat for young children of alcoholics. The children
speak about their experiences with an honesty and wisdom beyond their years. Many
of these children know they are at high risk of becoming alcoholics themselves.

Part 2 takes place 17 years later as we follow up with two of the children from
1986 who are now adults. Through their experiences, we explore the long-term
impacts of living with alcoholism in the family.

The third part takes us back to the summer camp retreat where our story first began. We
visit the newest generation of children of alcoholics. We talk to the same counselor who
helped our 1986 children and learn that while the core issues remain the same for today’s children,
the vast majority of children of alcoholics are still not getting any help. Many face additional
burdens of broken homes, poverty and hard core drug use.

Lost Childhood offers hope because our stories and interviews demonstrate
that early childhood intervention plus the presence of caring adults can make
a significant difference in the lives of these children.

This unprecedented television program is not just an expose of emotions. It takes
a widespread public health issue and highlights what television does best: balancing emotion
with information to drive home the scope, impact and potential solutions for a mostly
hidden societal problem.

"It is our fervent hope that Lost Childhood will go on to be a major
resource and teaching tool to help thousands, perhaps millions of affected children,” said
Sis Wenger, Executive Director of National Association for Children of Alcoholics.

"It is the most powerful and compelling television treatment I have seen on this critical
public health problem--- one that needs much greater understanding,” said Alan M. Levitt,
Senior Advisor to the Deputy Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy,
Executive Office of the President.

Lost Childhood was produced by the same news team over the entire 17-year period:
Reporter/Writer/Producer Emerald Yeh, Photographer Craig Franklin and Editor Jim Joy in San Francisco.