My husband had a job working for the state. He was young, and it was temporary, but it left a lasting impression. He worked with IT, tasked with designing a more efficient system for social workers to track their cases. This was long ago: back when technology was just beginning to reshape daily life.

The urgency was clear: social workers were overwhelmed, especially in larger cities. They struggled to keep track of the kids in their care, particularly those who had “aged out” and slipped away, labeled as runaways. My husband told me how sobering it was to realize that the numbers he reviewed weren’t just data: they were real people, real kids, whose options were painfully limited. Funding might be available for children, but once they turned 17 or 18, the support narrowed, the safety net thinned.

Since then, technology has improved. The networks are broader and more connected, but one truth hasn’t changed: children who age out of foster care remain at risk, and many still need guidance, shelter, and community well beyond their teenage years.

My story is a work of fiction, but it’s also a light on the social issues that shaped it. 

Awareness matters.