Family drug court celebrates "life-changing" graduations

Dozens of families are celebrating mothers and fathers who are getting their lives back on track after graduating from family drug court.

Alejandro Pena and his wife Shelby Ring have been together for a little more than a decade now and have six children.

The past twelve months has brought them to this moment.

This graduation walk just takes 15 seconds, but it took nearly a year to get here.

12 months ago, both were battling an addiction to meth.

Child Protective Services took their kids to live with relatives, while Alejandro and Shelby went through the intensive services of family drug court.

Over the years the court had helped more than 250 families reunite with over 700 kids.

“It was the love that our kids gave us and the love we gave our kids that’s pushed us,” said Pena.

They’ve now been sober for almost six months.

Today they were joined by 12 other mothers and fathers with similar stories.

The love of their kids is what drives them through the program and it’s what will keep them going in the future

“Every day, every minute, every second,” said Pena. “It’s always going to be my kids.”