It was July 1997, on a hot, humid day. All the neighborhood children were outside. Teenagers were playing in the fire hydrant spray to cool off. Younger girls were jumping rope and boys were playing handball. A few young men were playing stickball in the street.
My birthday was approaching and I had gone out the day before and bought bikes for my two children, Raven and Shai. I always liked … Read More
When my girlfriend told me that she was pregnant, I believed that the baby she was carrying wasn’t mine. I didn’t have confidence in ourrelationship. Sometimes she didn’t pay attention to me. I would say to her, “Come at 6 pm,” and she would come if she felt like it, but if not, she wouldn’t show. She almost never called me. It was me who called her all the time.
But when I went … Read More
Tanya McLeod knows what it’s like to be the victim of false and malicious child abuse reports. Soon after her husband went to jail forbreaking an order of protection, child welfare workers showed up at her door. Over a three-month period, more than five detectives and child welfare workers came to her house, as early as 7 a.m. and late into the night. She was sure it was her husband who’d made the … Read More
When I was 10 years old, my mentally ill mother walked out on me and my four siblings. As I got older, I discovered that I had a unique gift:identification. Because I had suffered abandonment and childhood unrest, I found that I was able to identify with the insecurities of emotionally wounded children.
My husband grew up in a stable, close-knit family. His family set the example of how things should be while … Read More
New York City teens convicted of crimes have usually been sent to facilities upstate, far from their families. Now an initiative called Closeto Home will change that—these teens will receive services at home or go to city residences where they can stay more connected to their families and communities. Reverend Emma Jordan-Simpson, executive director of the Children’s Defense Fund of New York and chair of the Office of Children and Families Brooklyn for … Read More
