She Never Gave Up: A Reunification Story
There was a time when life felt steady. She was working, providing, and raising her children with deep love. But when challenges came, she didn’t have the support she needed. “I didn’t know what to do,” she said. “I didn’t have anyone to walk through it with me.” When her children entered foster care, everything shifted. “When I lost my kids, I lost myself,” Kenyetta shared. What followed were years filled with grief, instability, and survival. The life she once knew felt further and further away, but even then, something in her never fully let go.
Rock bottom didn’t come all at once. It came after years of exhaustion. “I was just tired. Tired of the life I was living.” One day, she reached her breaking point. She fell to her knees and prayed. “I asked God to take my addiction. I told Him I would do better moving forward,” she shares. This prayer marked the beginning of change.
The next steps weren’t easy, but they were different. This time, she chose recovery, built a support system, and began rebuilding her life piece by piece. “The biggest thing is support,” she said. “You can’t do it alone.” There were still obstacles and moments where progress felt slow, but she didn’t quit. “I just kept going. No matter what was in front of me.”
In November of 2023, she came to Coyote Hill’s Family Connections Home for supervised visits with her son. It became a place to show up for her son weekly to rebuild trust, and move towards reunification. “It felt like a steppingstone” she said, “like people were walking alongside me.” At first, time with her son was limited to short, structured one-hour visits. There were moments she wondered if reunification would ever happen, but she stayed consistent, andcontinued working the plan. Looking back, she understands that season differently now. “They needed to see I was ready. And I was determined to show them.”
“When we first met Kenyetta, it was clear she was on a path toward reunification with her son. She took ownership of her past with humility, treated others with genuine kindness, and remained committed to her growth every step of the way.”
Over the span of 14 months, things began to shift. More time together led to more trust, and more trust led to hope. Eventually, that hope became reality: reunification.
At her and her son’s reunification celebration, the room was filled with people who had witnessed her journey from many different angles. A pastor shared a simple but powerful truth: “Something is worth what someone is willing to pay forit.” Kenyetta was willing to give up her life of addiction and freedom, for a life of selfless sacrifice for her son.
Several others in the room spoke to the transformation they had witnessed, including the family connections home volunteer, bus driver turned family, and foster parents to her son during the reunification journey. Along the way, these people showed up in small but meaningful ways. During a time when she was experiencing homelessness, a stranger gave a bus driver $20 to pass along to her. That $20 gift exchange turned into a friendship. Today, that bus driver is someone she knows not just in passing, but as a neighbor, as family. Family Connections volunteers remember her consistency, how she showed up even after long days, stayed engaged with her son, and continued to press forward. Those moments, and those people, became part of the foundation she built her new life on.
“Being part of her reunification celebration, and hearing that many had once considered her case hopeless, was a powerful reminder to our team that redemption is always possible.”
Today, she is home with her son, and it’s the everyday moments that mean the most. “Just watching him grow… seeing who he’s becoming, it’s everything.” She laughs when she shares how he tells her, “Mom, you’re breaking my heart,” when he doesn’t get something he wants, and smiles at the innocence of it. Those small, ordinary moments are the ones she fought so hard for.
Now, her focus is on the future. She is working to build stability for her family and hopes to one day help other parents who are walking a similar road. “I want to help people going through addiction, people trying to get their children back,” she said. “I know what that feels like.” And no matter what comes next, her mindset is clear: “I’ve been through too much to give up now.”
For other parents who may feel like giving up, her message is simple: don’t. “Even when it feels impossible, even when progress is slow, keep going. Find a support system, stay committed, and hold onto hope.”
Her story is a powerful reminder that reunification is possible, and that with support, perseverance, and community, families can be restored.
