All my life, I have been ashamed of my family. My father left me and my mother when I was 6 years old. The only memories I have of him were all negative.
My mother was no better. She left my brother and me for another man, and had another child with him as well. My grandmother raised us but she passed when I was 11. As I was bounced around from group homes to foster … Read More
Today I will talk to you about what’s needed in child welfare reform from a parent’s perspective. That is voice—parents having a powerful voice in their cases and in the system.
You might be thinking, why does a parent need a voice?
I’m sure you hear us all the time screaming, fighting and arguing at the agencies. … Read More
In my family, chemical dependency and physical abuse were the tools we used to survive. That way of coping has been going strong in my family for decades. The result for my siblings and me was that we were removed and placed in foster care twice—first when I was 5 years old, and then for good when I was 8.
I grew up in the system with a powerful force inside of me: a burning desire … Read More
Then there’s my son Mandell. I miss giving him shape-ups with the razor, playing videogames … Read More
It was August 2, 2010, 10:30 p.m. It was hot and my two children were dirty and sweaty from playing outside.
I was running their bath when the doorbell rang. My 10-year-old son ran to the door, then quickly ran back to the bathroom. “Mommy! Mommy! Child protective services is at the door.”
“That isn’t even funny to joke about,” I said. “No, Mom, really, they are,” he said. My heart pounded.
As … Read More
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