Each year, nearly 30,000 young adults in the United States age out of foster care without a permanent family or home. A new book by a group of journalists and photographers called “Aging Out” follows the lives of 11 young people in Southern California who have recently or are in the process of aging out of the foster care system.

The idea for the project began after freelance photographer Aaron Fallon saw another photographer’s work on youth aging out of foster care on the East Coast. Fallon did some research and discovered that these youth face a high risk of becoming homeless, unemployed, incarcerated, victimized, unexpectedly pregnant, and on welfare. These challenges motivated him to raise awareness and support for youth aging out of foster care in his community.

Fallon enlisted help from a group of L.A. based photographers and journalists, and the Alliance for Children’s Rights helped him find youth to feature in the book.

“I tried to put myself in the same position, being a young adult, being on my own without family support and trying to make my way in the world and it’s overwhelming. I know I made a lot of mistakes growing up but there was a safety net for me and had so many advantages.” -Aaron Fallon, Youth Today

The book was released on July 30, 2015, and can be purchased at www.agingoutsoutherncalifornia.com.

Helping emerging youth is an area of focus for KVC. Read more about our initiative to transform the closing Sugar Grove naval base in Pendleton County, West Va. into a specialized career college for youth aging out of foster care.