Tamika
Tamika is a single mother of twin boys and she lives in the Mt. Pleasant area of Schenectady,
N.Y. She moved there from Queens when she was 14 years old. Tamika is one of six children
who were raised by their single mother. Her father was a victim of a shooting and became
paralyzed when she was just two years old. Soon after the shooting, her mother and father
separated. Tamika’s said she remembers her mother smoking marijuana and having many
different men in the home.
In talking about her childhood, Tamika said she felt detached from her siblings. She felt
confused and lonely. Tamika said she always liked going to school, it was an escape for her.
However, she didn’t graduate. She was exposed to marijuana by her siblings and she began to
use marijuana when she was in the tenth grade. Tamika recognized that her drug use had
triggered some changes in herself; she had become unmotivated and her passion for school
diminished.
Tamika talks about how she has always worked since she was 15 years old. At first, she worked
summer jobs through the Summer Youth Program. After a few years, she found other
employment at a variety of places, including Wendy’s and Kingsway Community. Tamika said
she really enjoyed working, but at an early age the burdens of adulthood became
overwhelming for her. Tamika became her family’s “go to” person for money. She was
responsible for such things as paying for gas so that the family could go visit a relative who was
incarcerated and purchasing school clothes for her younger brother.
Tamika left home at the age of 17. Tamika said that she never really felt part of her family. Her
mother wasn’t supportive of her, not like she is with Tamika’s two other sisters. Tamika never
understood why, but she knew she was treated differently.
Tamika gave birth to twin boys when she was 22yrs. old. She received very little support from
her family in helping to care for the twins. It was difficult for Tamika to raise the children alone.
She suffered from depression and struggled with the boys; she found it difficult to control her
anger at times and used corporal punishment as a way to discipline the boys. The boys were
taken away from Tamika due to her use of corporal punishment. While the twins were in foster
care, Tamika felt abandoned by her mother and her family. There was no one for her to talk to,
no one for her to lean on, and no one to reassure or console her.
Additionally, Tamika had been incarcerated for a period of time due to her possession of
marijuana. She is also a victim of domestic violence and she has a history of chronic
homelessness. Tamika was at SCAP’s transitional housing for women on two occasions.
In order to reunite with her children, Tamika knew she needed to make some changes such as
learning parenting skills and addressing her mental health issues. She referred herself to SCAP’s
Permanent Housing Program (PHP) because she realized this would help her provide a stable
and safe place for herself and her children while she received the help she needed. Tamika was
accepted into the program, and soon she was reunited with her boys. Since Tamika has been in
this program, she has worked toward the goals she identified as important. She is no longer
involved with Child Protective Services; she no longer uses corporal punishment with the boys;
she has improved her parenting skills; has sought counseling for her depression; she maintained
abstinence from drugs; she is free from domestic violence; and she maintains her house
appropriately. Additionally, Tamika is employed full-time as a night supervisor for a local fastfood restaurant. And Tamika hopes to further her education in the near future.
Although Tamika recognizes her accomplishments, she still feels emptiness. She struggles with
not having the support of her mother. During the interview, Tamika became emotional and
expressed how she needs her mother’s praise, approval and encouragement.