Camp Offers Solace for Kids with Addicted Family Member
By:
Source:
Photo: Compass Health
Camp Offers Solace for Kids with Addicted Family Member
By Sharon Salyer, The Herald of Everett, Washington
EVERETT — Kids growing up in a home where family members have a drug or alcohol problem bear a burden of their own.
“My nieces probably felt this was only their dirty secret,” said Kristie Kaaland, who is a guardian for the two girls, Carli Garcia, 11, and Parker Garcia, 13.
Kaaland, who lives in Skagit County, said when she first began looking after the girls as a temporary guardian, she needed help. “I was at a loss over where to go,” she said.
She heard about Camp Mariposa, a free camp in Snohomish County designed especially for kids who, like her nieces, had experienced the emotional problems caused by a family member’s addiction.
“It’s unheard of what they do,” Kaaland said of the camps her nieces have attended. Kids between the ages of 9 and 12 can attend for free.