MOVING from one children’s home to the next, Tatrecia Mitchell had to deal with much rejection and disdain, which made her feel like an outcast.

But that challenging experience did not prevent her from progressing.

Mitchell, who is now a homeowner, has been serving as a customer relations representative at Jamaica Public Service for the last 10 years and has a registered business in fitness and training.

The 34-year-old, who is a mother of three girls, shared her story during the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) Educational Achievement Awards Ceremony held at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel last Thursday.

“I remember at one point, I was looked at as an outcast. Being placed in foster care, going to a children’s home, you’re write off. That’s it. I remember as a child, I would go from foster parent to foster parent, I was placed at Hanbury Children’s Home at three months,” she said.

“I remember being fostered by a particular young lady and she said, ‘Weh mi a bother struggle wid you fah? Yuh mother and yuh father nuh want you, suh wa kind a burden this mi take up’ and she brought me back to the place of safety [Hanbury],” she added.

Mitchell credited much of her growth to a former officer she referred to as Mr Crew, at Child Development Agency which is now referred to as CPFSA. She said he ensured that she was given the necessary guidance in State care.

She said at age three, she moved on to the Glenhope Place of Safety in Kingston and plans were made for her to be adopted.

However, after adoption, her foster parents later separated and were unable to take care of her financially.

“I remember at age three, placed in child’s care, Mr Crew said, ‘What am I going to do with this child’. I moved from there and I was adopted again, I was with foster parents but life hit them and they separated. They brought my back to Mr Crew and told him that they could not afford to keep me anymore,” she said

“By then [age 14], I was already in high school and he looked at me and said, ‘What am I going to do with you, you have so much potential but no one to care for you’,” she said.

Mitchell said the childcare officer made some checks at Yadel Home for Girls in Old Harbour, St Catherine, which cared for girls from ages 10 to 18.

She said the home was already full to capacity and could only accommodate her for two weeks while Mr Crew found somewhere else for her to stay.

“When I went to Yadel, I knew it was not permanent. I didn’t take comfort there, so I sat outside waiting for my foster mother or Mr Crew to come back for me. I remember in my second week, the owner for the home came and she said, ‘Come here likkle red pickney, what do you want?’, and I told her I just wanted a fair chance to become somebody,” said Mitchell.

She said the manager at the home decided to keep her there until age 20.

She said during her time at the home, she attended the Old Harbour High School, where she became a prefect then head girl at the institution.

Recalling that experience, she said, “I remember when I had to do an interview for senior prefect position and I went in the interview, they said where are you from?’ and I said, ‘Yadel Home for Girls and they said, ‘Nuh there suh dem put bad pickney’ and I said, ‘No, that is a place where they inspire people to become women and men of society. I am here rubbing shoulders with children from good homes and I deserve a spot here,” and I moved on, got a scholarship and went to The University of the West Indies, Mona.”

Mitchell thanked the CPFSA for providing their services for wards of the State and encouraged the youngsters who were at the ceremony to stand out.

“Find your place in society. Not only do you become a professional but I believe that you become whole when it is that you recognise what the Lord has done and I just give myself to the Lord and tell him thanks for being there for me,” she said.

“I want to say to CPFSA, thanks for believing in us and giving us a fair chance. I am glad for the CPFSA officers, persons who inspire others to become who they want to be in society.”