Shannon Garcia knows firsthand the challenges of starting life over again for the better of her family. In 1997, Shannon suffered severe head trauma in a car accident. Both her mother and 5-month-old daughter die.

“In a moment, my life completely changed,” she said. After the accident, she tried to forget the pain of her traumatic loss, but began on a downward spiral filled with alcohol and drugs.
 
She became pregnant, and gave birth to her daughter, Christina. She continued to use, and the child was placed into foster care for 22 months.

After Shannon worked hard to become clean, Christina was eventually placed back into her mother’s care, but they struggled to build a relationship together.

She sought support from Children’s Home Society of Washington, which offers various classes and support groups for parents and caregivers.

The Nurturing Parenting Program helped Shannon rebuild her relationship with her daughter while improving her parenting skills and learning effective discipline techniques.
 
“I appreciated meeting other parents who helped me understand I wasn’t alone and provided me with lots of support,” Shannon said.

Now, Shannon provides a loving, nurturing home for her four children, giving them a brighter future. “I’m happy and I can honestly say I am a good mom,” Shannon said. “This has been a very long process, but I’m clean, happy and being the best parent I can be.”