Natasha’s Story
Every weekday morning, Natasha McKnight wakes up at 6:30 a.m. to get her kids ready for school. She makes sure Jassmani, Mikai and Jah’lya are getting dressed. She checks on Ca’nya, Ya’nae, and Jomaine as they brush their teeth. She cradles ten month-old Brooklyn in her arms. And by 8 o’clock, all the children are out of Natasha’s four-bedroom apartment and buckled tight in her minivan on their way to school in Jersey City, NJ.

I’m Beverly Savage, executive director of Hudson County CASA, a non-profit organization which trains community volunteers to advocate on behalf of foster children in New Jersey’s Hudson County. I first met Natasha in 2013 when she became the resource parent to Jassmani, Jah’lya and Mikai — three foster children in CASA’s caseload. In compliance with CASA standards, a volunteer would frequently visit the home to ensure the children were in a safe environment. Whenever CASA would visit the McKnight household, the children were always happy, clean, and active. Jassmani talked about the books she was reading, Jah’lya eagerly spilled that she made the school’s Honor Roll, and Mikai was a smiling, playful four year old. Natasha was always attentive to each child, despite having multiple other foster children in her home at any given time.
In 2015, Hudson County CASA witnessed one of our most emotional adoption ceremonies. The siblings’ biological parents surrendered their parental rights over to Natasha. She had expressed to the court that the children’s placements should allow them to grow up together and it was agreed that there was no better place than her own home. At the time, she had already adopted three foster kids while having four biological children.

Natasha started her journey as a resource parent in 2008 with Dai’jhana, who is now 15. When Dai’jhana’s mother was killed in a car crash and her uncle passed away shortly after, Natasha stepped up to care for her. Some time later, she did just the same when the foster system introduced her to Jomaine, now 7. Dai’jhana and Jomaine have been officially adopted into the McKnight family but Dai’jhana has since been reunited with her biological sisters. Since becoming a resource parent, Natasha has fostered and adopted seven children — most of whom have been removed from their prior homes due to physical or mental abuse, or were born addicted to narcotics. While all of her biological children are now grown, she also takes care of her one year old granddaughter, Egypt.

Natasha’s story does not come without her own heartache. She was not fairly treated in her youth and believes every child deserves someone that cares about them. She has said that as long as there is a kid who needs love, she wants to be able to help. She wants them to trust that they are in good hands and capable of success. She wants them to forgive those who abandoned them, but not forget the path they have overcome.
The McKnights stay in close contact with our CASA staff and are never less than appreciative and excited to attend the events we host. While Natasha does her absolute best to care for each individual child, it is impossible for her to do everything without a little help. The McKnight family often visits the office to borrow books from our library room. CASA supplies them with school supplies during our Backpack Drive and toys during our Christmas Toy Drive, but there are some things are out of our reach.

Jersey City has had ongoing issues with gun violence and crime. Natasha’s neighborhood is especially bad. Her apartment doesn’t allow secure backyard access and she is uncomfortable letting the kids play in a nearby park because of the constant threat of violence. She routinely takes them to amusement parks and hotels to have room to play and swim in a pool. The fact of the matter is, there just isn’t enough room for the McKnight family in their four bedroom apartment and the neighborhood is too dangerous to allow the kids to play outside. The McKnight family needs more space — somewhere the kids can practice their cartwheels and play kickball. They need a house that they can make into a home. The McKnight family deserves a better place to live and I believe the Ellen Show can help.
