The first time in my life that I really felt like belonged somewhere was when I got hired to be a parent advocate at the Seamen’s Society forChildren and Families. Seamen’s was the agency responsible for my youngest son and me when I ended up addicted to drugs and he ended up in foster care for two-and-a-half years.
My agency believed in me, and after I got my son back, it offered … Read More
I’d like to share my story. It’s not easy for me because I hold my privacy to me like a shield. I fear that I will be judged. But what I’m telling is from my heart.
Nine years ago, I lost my older two children to foster care. It took three years for them to come back home. We’re still recovering from the pain of that time.
My story begins with … Read More
Translated from Spanish.
Catalino Rivera was my father. He wore a sombrero and a mustacheand he was a country man. He was strong and very strict, but also had a happy character.
My father and I were always very close. When I was growing up in Mexico, I followed him everywhere. He brought me around the countryside and to school on a bicycle. My father took us to the pool, to the rodeo, and … Read More
I gave birth to my son William, my third child, when I was 22 years old. I had placed myfirst two children in foster care because I was dealing with an abusive boyfriend and we had nowhere safe to live together.
During my pregnancy with William, I was living in a domestic violence shelter and trying to get housing, but I felt more stable. I had a good job and I worked hard until we … Read More
One day I was Me, and the next I was Mom-Me. First came all the pain and all thescreaming (my own), and then a tiny human being was placed on my chest.
When I held my daughter, I was in awe. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I was scared that I might break her, but also fascinated by her tiny-ness. Her feet were the best part. I couldn’t believe how cute they … Read More
