Congratulations, You’re On Your Own: Life After Foster Care (2016)

• 85%
• 2016
• Documentary
• Michael D. Nes

A documentary film that follows former foster youth after aging out of care. Each year, roughly 35,000 young adults reach the end of their allotted time in the foster care system and are thrust out into the world to make it on their own - whether they are ready for it or not. These young people are forced to navigate all of the responsibilities of adulthood, many without having sufficient preparation nor the ongoing guidance and safety net that in-tact families can provide during these formative years. Some even go straight from foster care to homelessness. The struggles these youth endure result in higher incidences of incarceration, unemployment, substance abuse, teen parenting, mental health issues and educational difficulties than the rest of the population. Through youth telling their stories, and also by hearing from professionals in the field, it explains how children enter the foster care system, what happens while they are there, and especially how they transition out of it. Many of the hardships these youth face come to light as they allow unfettered access into their current situation and provide candid recollection and insight into their past. Along the journey of telling these unbelievable stories, the documentary shows how individuals, organizations and communities work to improve the lives of these young adults.