When addiction impacts a family, children and teens often carry emotional burdens they do not fully understand. Feelings of fear, confusion, instability, and isolation can quietly shape their daily lives, often without a safe space to talk about what they are experiencing.

Through Renascent’s Children’s Program, young people and families are provided with compassionate, trauma-informed support designed to help them feel safe, connected, and understood.

Throughout the 2025–2026 fiscal year, children participating in the program demonstrated meaningful growth in their ability to express emotions, ask trusted adults for help, establish healthy boundaries, and manage difficult feelings.

“For many children, this was the first place where they felt safe enough to talk openly about how addiction was affecting their lives,” said Cassandra Switzer, Family Counsellor. “You could really see their confidence grow over time. Kids who were once quiet or unsure started opening up about their feelings and realizing they weren’t alone.”

Importantly, many children continued attending alumni sessions even during difficult periods at home; reflecting the trust, consistency, and emotional safety the program helped create.

Teen participants also experienced important growth throughout the year, including stronger emotional regulation, healthier peer relationships, improved boundary-setting, and a greater willingness to seek support when needed.

For many teens, the program’s ‘check-ins’ became an important source of connection and reassurance during some of the most formative years of their lives.

By supporting not only individuals, but entire family systems, Renascent’s donor-funded Children’s Program continues to help young people build resilience, strengthen emotional well-being, and experience the stability and connection every child deserves.