Shannon is a mother through both birth and adoption: Her eldest son is 26 and has gifted her the role of “Nana” with his two young children. Her youngest son is 16 and joined her family at five months old, initially as a foster child. After adopting, Shannon and her wife stepped into the worlds of FASD, ADHD, ASD and anxiety. They became founding members of the South Eastern Ontario FASD Parent Action Group and continue to be active members. Shannon is passionate about her work as a Registered Early Childhood Educator, a role in which she advocates for families within the local Children’s Aid Society, school boards and community partner organizations. She is particularly invested in supporting the LGTBQ2S+ community, promoting self care among parents raising children with complex needs, fostering cultural connections in First Nation adoptions, and ensuring access to mental health services. Having started with Interwoven Connections several years ago as the Eastern Peer Connector, Shannon uses this experience to strengthen the permanency landscape across Ontario as the Program Director of our Peer to Peer Support Network.