Linda and David had gotten married young, and shortly afterwards welcomed their daughter Sadie into their lives. After a couple of years of trying to make it work, Linda and David decided to divorce, but they were committed to co-parenting Sadie.  

A few months after the divorce, Linda met Paul and was immediately taken by his charm, wit, and smile. Their relationship moved fast, and within the first year they were living together and completely inseparable. Their relationship was great unless she had to cancel or change plans because she needed to be there for Sadie. Paul would usually pick a fight with her when she got home, calling her names and shouting, and saying how life would be easier if she didn’t have Sadie. She thought he just needed more time to adjust to the new situation.  

As the months went on, Linda noticed she had headaches, shakes, sweats, and was either drowsy or amped up. At first, she thought her body was just going through changes, or she had a virus, but she began to miss appointments, could not focus, and would wake up not knowing how she got to where she was. It wasn’t until she got pulled over and arrested for swerving while taking Sadie to school, that she learned she was driving under the influence.  

Linda swore up and down to the officer and judge that she had never even done drugs and rarely even drank alcohol, but her actions and later test results communicated a completely different story. And then it hit her, Paul must be drugging her. 

The judge gave full custody of Sadie to David and ordered Linda to a rehab program, and if completed successfully, would be allowed supervised visits with Sadie. After rehab, Linda reached out to Radiant Futures. She was distraught when she contacted Radiant Futures to help her as she didn’t know what to do. Through Radiant Futures’ SAFE program, she was able to receive supervise visitation with her daughter, Sadie, who meant everything to her. 

Radiant Futures is the only nonprofit organization in Orange County that does not charge for supervising visitation. Radiant Futures’ Safe Accompaniment Family Engagement (SAFE) program helped Linda and Sadie be together for weekly visitation twice a week. With this precious time together, Linda’s and Sadie’s relationship began to heal and blossom; the two enjoyed creating crafts, playing games, being silly with one another, and displaying love with big bear hugs and kisses. Linda relished being with her daughter in a safe and healthy environment. She was so happy when she received the news that her supervised visitations had been increased to three times a week but then, she missed several appointments, and her supervised visitation was cut off due to four no-show cancellations. 

Though she was disheartened by having her visitation cut off, Linda continued to work on herself to become the best person she could be for both, herself and Sadie. She utilized Radiant Futures’ Personal Empowerment Program classes (PEP) and Overcoming Addiction, peer groups. Linda came out of her shell and supported other attendees by openly discussing her personal adversities. For many, her misfortunes would have broken their determination, but she found her inner strength and she did not allow her adversity to define her path. Having found her voice and being able to tell her story, she had a lasting impact on the survivors who were in the programs with her. 

To continue her growth, Linda enrolled in Radiant Futures individual counseling. Through her determination, Linda completed supervised visitation services, and was awarded unsupervised visitation with Sadie, as well as overnight stays. She is ecstatic! 

SAFE program information- importance of NCP bonding with the child- developmental of child’s health.  

To sign up for SAFE, PEP class, counseling, or any of our supportive services, contact our helpline at 877-552-5531 or text LOVE@radiantfutures.org