Two teens aged out of New Mexico’s child welfare system last year. This photo essay shows how different their lives have become.
Two teens aged out of New Mexico’s child welfare system last year. This photo essay shows how different their lives have become.
A lot of kids need help at 18, not just ones that age out of foster care. The difference is most kids have the safety net of a family and just aren’t shoved out the door to fend for themselves. It takes time, resources, and drive to get the momentum you need to self-sustain. And honestly sometimes a lot of luck. And even then sometimes it’s not enough (I know, I have a step-son almost 40 that’s almost always teetering on the edge of collapse).
I empathize with these kids that fall through the cracks and don’t have that safety net. I feel for a lot of these millennials and gen-z kids that don’t have the same opportunities I had graduating in the late 80s. But I especially feel for these kids that feel so alone and desolate.