It was about 9:30 pm on a very cold Detroit blizzard day in January 1999 when Child Protective Services and the police showed up to my home. I was standing in the bathroom when I heard a loud hard knock accompanied by” it’s the police.” It literally shook me to my core. I opened the door; the officer asked me "what’s your name?” I said “Cherron” he turned to a lady and she shook her head yes, the officer said get your coat. I was escorted by the officer to a van with nothing but my shoes, coat and the clothes on my back.

After what seems like the longest ride of my life, I arrived at a home that was said to be my “temporary foster home placement.”

I had no option or time to grab my favorite shirt that I loved so much, or my Barbie doll that I had for years, or the easy bake oven I begged for and got for Christmas.

My family was torn. My mother and her 9 children never shared the same closeness ever again. Thursdays became a replay of the worst day of my life. My family visits were every Thursday at 4 pm for one hour. It was a bittersweet moment of happiness from seeing my family, then the sudden rush of sadness to see them go. A system that is suppose to create family unity totally destroys families by creating constant traumatic experiences.

I traveled from home to home, school to school, and my social worker and therapist constantly changed. I eventually aged out of care with no guidance. I was left to figure the world out on my own. I, like most children that age out, became homeless living out of my car, pregnant at 18, and with no knowledge of how to manage in the world.

My goal is for Urban Unity to create environments and experiences that change how children experience foster care.