'I don't want to miss any more of their life'
TACOMA -- This Thanksgiving came with a fresh start for some young families. The parents were drug addicts, the children were taken from them.
But now some parents have their kids back, thanks to a special program.
One of those parents was Angelita Drain, who is back celebrating Thanksgiving with her children this year.
She had lost custody of the kids two years ago when she got hooked on meth, but last week she graduated from a special Pierce County program.
Angelita volunteered for the Family Drug Court, an intensive program of treatment, counseling, and court supervision.
"You're clean, you're sober, you've turned your life around," said Kristin Teutscher with the Family Drug Court.
It takes more than a year to complete the program, with the possibility of going to jail for failing drug tests.
"I don't want to miss any more of their life," Drain said.
But Angelita and another parent Shawn Oliver made it, joining hundreds of other graduates.
But this 7-year-old program is in jeopardy of coming to an end. It simply is a matter of money -- Pierce County is in a budget crisis. In fact, the county council is trying to get rid of an entire superior court position.
If money for the program isn't found somewhere else, the family drug court will run out of money at the end of the year, leaving 70 families up in the air.
"We're a little discouraged by the lack of funds," said judge Gary Steiner.
Many of the graduates of the family drug court here on this day say a simple solution is for the judges of Pierce County to give up their double insurance policies from the county and state -- that would more than pay for the $132,000 program.
"They've just opened my eyes a lot and I'm very grateful for this program," Drain said, adding without the program, "I'd probably still be getting high."
Instead, she's celebrating a new beginning with her kids and has a new reason to give thanks.
But now some parents have their kids back, thanks to a special program.
One of those parents was Angelita Drain, who is back celebrating Thanksgiving with her children this year.
She had lost custody of the kids two years ago when she got hooked on meth, but last week she graduated from a special Pierce County program.
Angelita volunteered for the Family Drug Court, an intensive program of treatment, counseling, and court supervision.
"You're clean, you're sober, you've turned your life around," said Kristin Teutscher with the Family Drug Court.
It takes more than a year to complete the program, with the possibility of going to jail for failing drug tests.
"I don't want to miss any more of their life," Drain said.
But Angelita and another parent Shawn Oliver made it, joining hundreds of other graduates.
But this 7-year-old program is in jeopardy of coming to an end. It simply is a matter of money -- Pierce County is in a budget crisis. In fact, the county council is trying to get rid of an entire superior court position.
If money for the program isn't found somewhere else, the family drug court will run out of money at the end of the year, leaving 70 families up in the air.
"We're a little discouraged by the lack of funds," said judge Gary Steiner.
Many of the graduates of the family drug court here on this day say a simple solution is for the judges of Pierce County to give up their double insurance policies from the county and state -- that would more than pay for the $132,000 program.
"They've just opened my eyes a lot and I'm very grateful for this program," Drain said, adding without the program, "I'd probably still be getting high."
Instead, she's celebrating a new beginning with her kids and has a new reason to give thanks.