Martha Shirk spent twenty-three years as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where she wrote extensively about children's issues. She lives in Palo Alto, California.
Foreword, by Jimmy Carter
Acknowledgments
ix
Introduction: On Their Own in a World of Unknowns
1
(16)
1 A Tale of Three Brothers: Jermaine, Jeffrey, and Lamar Williams, Brooklyn, New York
17
(28)
2 "I Know That I'm Not Alone": Patty Mueller, Boston, Massachusetts
45
(30)
3 "All My Life, I Had Prayed for a Family": Alfonso Torres, Pembroke Pines, Florida
75
(34)
4 "I Never Want to Sleep on the Street": Raquel Tolston, San Francisco, California
109
(28)
5 "If I'd Been Tougher": Casey-Jack Kitos, Lawrence, Kansas
137
(22)
6 "I Was Tired of Living That Life": Monica Romero, San Antonio, Texas
159
(26)
7 Mentally Retarded, Mentally Ill, and On His Own: Reggie Kelsey, Des Moines, Iowa
185
(30)
8 "There Is Life After Abuse": Giselle John, Brooklyn, New York
215
(30)
Conclusion: What We Must Do
245
(24)
Epilogue, March 2006
269
(20)
Appendix A. Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) Report
289
(6)
Appendix B. Exits to Emancipation, Fiscal 2000
295
(2)
Appendix C. State Allocations for John Chafee Foster Care Independence Program
297
(2)
Appendix D. Jim Casey Youth Opportunity Initiative Opportunity Passport Sites
299
(2)
Appendix E. Resources on Foster Care, Youth Transition, and Development
301
(2)
Appendix F. Resources Mentioned in On Their Own
303
(4)
Notes
307
(8)
References
315
(4)
Index
319
(7)
About the Authors
326
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