I am a 16 year old who at 6 months old my mother forced me, by saying I either went willingly with her or the cop would take me, to go to this maternity home called Harbor House. She told me that there they would teach me house to parent and raise my child, however this was far from the truth! When I got there I found that I was not allowed telephone calls for the first 3 weeks and I was aloud no visitors for the first months, and then at that the only visitor that was allowed to see me was my mother and step father who's wishes were for me to give my baby up for adoption. I tried to keep my parenting plan as parenting but Harbor House made it impossible for me to figure out a plan and collect resources so I could get everything set in place for baby. I was not aloud to make any phone calls, there was no computer, t.v., cell phones, or radios that were aloud for me to access. They preached the bible and said that I was a sinner and it was not in god's plan or vision for one to do single parenting. I was told that if I chose parenting I would be sent away to a different state to a halfway house for single mothers where I would be locked away from all contact with society and my family just as I was there. I was told that I had no help or no one that was there for me and parenting would be impossible and that the best thing for me was to do adoption just like my mother wanted. I asked that my father (who was in support of my keeping my baby) be present at the birth of my child. they told me that he was not allowed to be there. they removed the telephone from my hospital room and I was not allowed to contact anyone. After I had my baby I said over and over I did not want to give her up for adoption they told me that I could either give her up and sign the adoption papers or child protective services would come take my baby away and I wouldn't get to keep her anyways. after they told me all that this adoption lawyer came in my room read me this paper and told me to sign on the line. the day I was discharged from the hospital I clung to my daughter for dear life and didn't want to let her go. I kept crying over and over "I don't want to give her up" "I don't want to do this" but the owner of harbor house pulled my baby out of my arms handed her to the adoptive parents and then led me out of the room and out of the hospital. It was over they had won. my baby was gone and there was nothing I could do about it! when I got home I was allowed to contact my father 3 weeks later. I then found out that he had called harbor house wanting to speak with me and they refused. I found that he had wrote me 4 letters all of which they opened, read, and took. they gave the letters to my mother who didn't give them to me for almost a month after the birth of my daughter. it has been 2 months since her birth and everyday that goes by I want her more and more. I Never wanted to do this! they used isolation, fear, biblical damnation, and threats to make me comply to there wants. Please help me I am reaching out to anyone who can help me in this fight to get my child back. there is such a big whole in my heart, guilt, sadness, anger, resentment and it just keeps getting worse. I just want the pain inside me to go away...but it won't! I am not the only girl this has happened to this is what this place does. there were many girls before me that were force to give there babies up, there are girls right now that are being forced into this unwanted decision, and if this place is not stopped there will be many more young teens in the future that will have there babies ripped from their arms then told to move on with life and forget about it all.

That's a very tragic story. But where is Harbour House? That would be of help to know.

Harbor House has 2 locations in Ohio. See www.heal-online.org/harbor.htm for more information.

Girl I just want to let you know almost the same thing happened to me! I was at Harbor House from July 2012 to September 2012. It was by far the worst time of my life! I feel you.
Danielle