From Surviving to Belonging

Second Chance Center, Denver

For two years, a father and his eight-year-old daughter slept in a car. The first night they finally slept in an apartment through supportive housing at Second Chance Center was not what anyone expected. Staff anticipated relief. Instead, they witnessed overwhelm.

“It wasn’t a celebration,” recalls Wanda Harrison, Senior Director of Housing. “It was trauma. They were exhausted. They didn’t know how to settle into something stable because stability had been out of reach for so long.”

Second Chance Center exists for moments like this. Across four sites in the Denver metro area, the organization works alongside people exiting the justice system as they rebuild their lives. Housing, workforce pathways, behavioral health support, and community connection are all part of the model. But over time, staff began to see that parents and caregivers faced a unique set of barriers. Reentry was not just about employment or sobriety. It was about learning how to reconnect with children after years of separation, instability, or loss.

Rebuilding Families After Reentry

With support from Caring for Colorado, the organization expanded its Justice-Involved Parenting Program, including Circle of Parents groups and dedicated family advocacy support. Parents now receive coaching on adolescent development, school navigation, communication, and rebuilding trust within their families.

For the father and daughter, the impact was immediate and lasting. Staff helped enroll her in school and advocated when teachers suggested she repeat a grade. With tutoring and encouragement, she caught up. Today, she is thriving in middle school, playing in a band and exploring sports. After the death of her biological mother, she told the staff quietly, “I’m okay. I have a lot of people who love me.”

“Many of the parents we serve want to show up differently for their children,” Wanda explains. “They just haven’t had the tools or stability to do that yet. When we focus on the parent-child relationship, everything else begins to shift.”

Changing Minds, Not Just Outcomes

Stories like hers also shift community perceptions. When Second Chance Center first developed supportive housing, neighbors protested. Wanda shares: “Years later, a neighbor who once protested supportive housing later came back and said, ‘I’ve watched families stabilize. I’ve seen parents show up for their children. I was wrong.’”

Second Chance Center’s approach is rooted in walking beside people, not fixing them. Many staff bring lived experience, which builds trust and possibility.

Moving Toward Belonging

Caring for Colorado’s investment is helping strengthen this family-centered work at a critical time. By supporting programs that reconnect parents and children, the Foundation is helping families move from survival toward belonging together.

Visit their website to learn more.

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