Camp Grace boosts family bonds at CCWF

February 10, 2025

For the first time, Camp Grace brought its family bonding experience to Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla. This also marked the first Camp Grace ever offered at a women’s institution.

According to K. McDaniel, founder at executive director of The Place for Grace, they’ve held the camps at CDCR men’s facilities since 2012.

“There’s no greater motivator to change your life than your own child. We all can have a new day and start anew,” McDaniel said.

Watch the video (story continues below):

Mother’s love unbroken after years

“I haven’t hugged her since the marshals came to get me from my house. That was the last time I hugged her (when) she was two-and-a-half years old,” said Keri, one of the moms incarcerated at CCWF. “Being able to actually wrap my arms around her was a really great experience. I can’t even explain how that felt to actually be able to hug her after all these years.”

Warden Anissa De La Cruz welcomed Camp Grace and their efforts to strengthen family bonds.

“The bond between the mother and child is extremely important,” De La Cruz said. “From the stories here today, you can see that some of them have not bonded with their kids for years.”

When people are paroled, these bonds help them reintegrate into their communities.

Aiden, one of the children attending the camp, said he was nervous at first because it had been a while since he last saw her.

“I was feeling some emotions,” he explained. “Mostly happiness just seeing her and I just went straight in for a hug. It felt amazing being able to hug her and hold her after three years.”

Video by Christopher Medina, Television Director (specialist)
Story by Don Chaddock, Inside CDCR editor
Office of Public and Employee Communications