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Jose's Story
Jose took full custody of his daughter when her mother could not care for her, rather than let her be placed in
foster care. She was just 12 days old—he was just 21. Because he had grown up in foster care,
as had his mother before him, Jose was willing to do whatever it took to prevent the same from happening to his
daughter. He worked two jobs and relied on help from members of his church to care for his daughter.
He also moved into a family shelter because the court did not allow him to live with the child’s mother and
maintain custody.
While living at the shelter, Jose's tooth became infected and had to be pulled out. Without healthcare
and unable to afford medication, Jose was in terrible pain and had no appetite. Feeling that he had no
other way of coping, he bought a $5 bag of marijuana.
During a routine search of his room, shelter staff found the bag. Although Jose was at a doctor's
appointment with his daughter at the time, the staff called ACS and the young father was charged with neglect.
When he went to Family Court for the first time, Jose had no idea that his daughter would be removed from his
care during that proceeding. This traumatic event was met with tears and anguish from both father and
daughter. Even though members of Jose's church offered to take his daughter into their homes, ACS placed
the little girl into the care of strangers without her own toys or clothing—or any familiar faces—to ease
the transition.
Having lost his place at the family shelter, Jose now lives at the home of his church deacon, where he hopes to bring
his daughter when she is back in his care. Due to his move to another borough, Jose is no longer CFR's
client. But his former CFR social worker continues to provide him with advice and assistance in the hope
that he can reunite with his daughter as soon as possible.
As part of his efforts to regain custody, Jose attends a lengthy drug treatment program, where he must go through
therapy alongside hardened crack and heroin addicts with whom he has little in common. He continues to
diligently work two jobs and regularly visits with his daughter.
Jose recently told CFR that, "It still hurts the same as the day they took her away."
Photo by Michael Kamber for the New York Times
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