“I’ve lived in Bayview for 15 years and raised my three kids here. The father and I are separated, but my six-year-old daughter sees him through visitations. He says he wants to see her more but neglects to show up. It was beginning to take a toll on our daughter.

One time, he said he was going to pick her up from school but he never came. I had to stop what I doing and rush to get her. It was terrifying, learning that my young daughter had been left all alone. I worried for her safety.

I wanted to set ground rules to make sure he would take parenting more seriously. That’s when I went to Open Door Legal. They took my case and matched me with my attorney, Anna. She made me feel comfortable– I could open up and let my guard down.

Things were getting worse. Sometimes he would drop our daughter off hungry. Still, he wanted more time with her and said I was keeping her from him. I was so afraid– what if he didn’t take care of her?

Open Door Legal helped me get a court-ordered child care schedule. Now I can ensure that my daughter will feel stable and secure. You never know what life will bring you. One minute you can be way up high and the next you can crash and need a way to get back up again. Open Door Legal helped me do just that.”

Photography © Maya Galicia-Canto