‘I don’t want children and families to endure the experiences I did’ | Opinion
One would expect growing up in beautiful city of Miami would be an exotic and sunny experience. But in my world, there were many days of constant rain.
At the age of 4, I was placed into the foster care system. Both my mother and father fell victim to substance abuse, which impeded their parenting abilities. I was removed from their custody. I lived in seven homes in 13 years and often ran away, couch surfing. At 18, I aged out of foster care.
As a youth, my teachers always praised my being smart; however, my circumstances of abuse, abandonment and neglect affected my performance, causing my grades to plummet and quality of life to go in a downward spiral. As a teenager, I got into fights with other children because of my severe anger issues. A fight during my junior year of high school led to my incarceration. I was taken to an adult jail with no one to post bail for my 18-year-old self, which is typical for most forgotten dependents; therefore, I had to sit in the Miami-Dade County jail until a judge ordered my release.
Despite my circumstances, I was determined to graduate from high school even when I failed the 10th grade — I missed a significant portion because I did not have a legal guardian to register me for school. I repeated the grade, attended virtual and night school, and worked several jobs, so that I could graduate and provide for myself.
Ultimately, I earned my diploma and, with the use of the tuition exemption waiver, I enrolled in Miami Dade College.
Life started to get a little better. I was an independent college student. Many college students have their parents’ support; however, that was not my reality. I had no one to depend on, not even the state of Florida. Although I was deemed a ward of the state, I was denied the independent living stipend provided to youth that age out of the system, because of several legal technicalities. I was 19, alone and without resources.
I survived the streets of Miami the best way I knew how. I was employed, but to make ends meet, I also shoplifted. As a child in foster care, you’re often denied the bare necessities, such as underwear and hygiene products, which everyone needs. I shoplifted to provide those things for myself, even as an employed college student.
The old habit that helped me survive in foster care landed me in jail yet again. This was a turning point in my life. While sitting in the same holding cell that I was in three years earlier, I made a vow: “If I can’t afford it, then I don’t need it and if I want it, I don’t need it. I will not steal again, and I am not going back to jail.”
Upon my release, I kept my vow. I continued to pursue higher education and graduated from MDC with a bachelor of arts in social work from Florida State University. I then started my career as a dependency social worker to be catalyst for children and families. Continuing my education, I graduated from Florida International University earning a Masters of Public Administration.
It is my hope that children and families do not have to endure the experiences i did, but the intersectionality of systems is complex. Over time, my perspective of the system has changed. I compare the system to peeling back the many layers of an onion. I sometimes wonder if it’s possible to reform the child welfare system or if it should be abolished altogether.
In the meantime, as an author, advocate, and philanthropist, my goal is to continue advocating on behalf of children and families, pursue a career in policy on a national level and execute initiatives that motivate self preservation.
Kenisha E. Anthony is the author of “Labeled: Ward of the State.” She will read from her book at 1 p.m. Nov. 19 at Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus, 300 NE Second Ave., Miami, Building 8, second floor, Room 8203.
