My name is Nadia and Florence Crittenton Services (FCS) of Baltimore has had a huge impact on my life. When I was eight months pregnant, my caseworker told me that she was placing me at FCS, where as a pregnant teen, I would learn how to take care of my unborn child. I was so angry—especially with my drug-addicted mother who was in and out of jail so much that she could not take care of my four younger siblings or me. My father didn’t want to have anything to do with me, either. My grandmother couldn’t take care of us because of her age and health. As a result I lived with different relatives, but because of my anger, I couldn’t stay. Because of my anger I was separated from my siblings and placed in different foster and group homes. When I arrived at FCS, I thought it was just another group home where I would eventually be kicked out.
One month after being placed at FCS, I delivered a healthy baby boy. I began parenting classes that taught me how to properly parent and discipline my son. I started attending school and shocked myself when I made the honor roll. I was also taking life skills classes and got a job working on campus as a teacher’s assistant. I had my fair share of ups and downs at FCS because of negative involvement with some of my peers, but I knew I had to make a better life for my son. I stayed at FCS for two years. When I finished high school, my son and I moved into a foster care home. I had the opportunity to enroll in a workforce program that helped me get a job. Today I have a job working for the state of Maryland with benefits and I have my own apartment. My son is in preschool and doing well. I take pride in where I am now and I have ambitions to help others because of my experience in foster care.
