Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of emotional abuse, physical abuse, mental illness, and addiction.

The American foster care system is designed to provide temporary living arrangements for children and adolescents who cannot remain safely with their biological families due to abuse, neglect, or other family crises. As of 2020, there are over 400,000 American youth living in the foster care system (“Foster Care.” The Policy Circle). While the system aims to protect vulnerable youth, it faces significant challenges, particularly in supporting teens as they transition to adulthood. The novel’s depiction of the American foster care system through the journeys of Elizabeth and Tonya reflects these challenges.

The majority of American youth in the foster care system live in non-resident foster homes with licensed adults. Like Elizabeth and Tonya, 9% of American foster care youth are raised in a group home, a residential facility that houses multiple children or teens under the care of paid staff (“Child Welfare and Foster Care Statistics.” The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 27 July 2024). These homes are often used when traditional foster family placements are unavailable or when a youth’s behavioral or emotional needs require daily support. While group homes can provide stability and supervision, they often lack the familial environment necessary for healthy emotional development. High staff turnover, limited personal attention, and a lack of healthy, long-term adult relationships can leave teens feeling isolated and unsupported. At the same time, the pressures of living with an unfamiliar mix of children and teens can lead to interpersonal conflict. The novel highlights that Elizabeth and Tonya faced significant challenges in their group home that led to real issues in their adult lives.

Teens in foster care may face a unique set of obstacles that make the transition to adulthood particularly difficult. Many youth in foster care have experienced traumatic events, but the system lacks the funding necessary to adequately address these issues. Bureaucratic hurdles, understaffed agencies, and a lack of coordination between foster care, education, and health systems further complicate efforts to deliver comprehensive care. Aging out of foster care at the age of 18 or 21 poses another significant challenge. Without permanent family connections or adequate preparation, many young adults are thrust out of foster care into independence with few resources. Compared to their peers outside of the system, foster youth experience higher rates of houselessness, unemployment, incarceration, mental illness, and addiction (Nuñez, Miguel, et. al. “Resilience Factors in Youth Transitioning out of Foster Care: A Systematic Review.” Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, vol. 14, 2021, pp. S72-S81). The novel emphasizes that Tonya’s attempts to build a stable life by stealing Elizabeth’s identity result from the lack of stability in her adolescence in foster care.