Tamanika holding a photo she took of her bedroom in her transitional housing. Long Island City, NY (2019).

I am the proud mother of 4 children. I went to prison when I was 37. I spent 3 years in prison and 3 of my 4 children went to foster care and my oldest stayed with family. The court tried to terminate my parental rights but I fought hard and it didn’t happen. I had a wonderful team of lawyers from Bronx Defenders. My lawyer said, “over my dead body will I let them take your kids.” I told her I only thought they said that in the movies. “I came home in October 2017. At first I went to a shelter in the Bronx for two weeks and I was then transferred to a shelter in lower Manhattan run by the Women’s Prison Association. I stayed there 5 months and then in February 2008 I went to Hour Children. I got my son back in April 2018 and the two girls in June 2018.“When I was in prison, the court ordered ACS to bring the kids to see me once a month. They flew them up to Rochester and then they rode a van for an hour. It didn’t happen every month.“I’m grateful to say that I fought the system and won. It has been a long journey. We will finally be moving into our own apartment soon.

— TAMANIKA, 43