The Road to Independent Living: Aging Out is Book 3 of the Family of Secrets and Lies series. It is designed to make the reader increasingly aware of the devastating conditions faced by many foster children and foster youth as they reside in and journey out of the system.

Born into a medium-sized family that already lacked stability, Valarie enters the fsoter care system at the age of 3 years old immediately following a major family crisis. She endures 18 years of psychological, physical and sexual abuse within the foster care system, and feels devsatated when she reaches out to the professionals working with the family, but doesn't get the help she was hoping for. After graduating from high school, she leaves New York City to attrend college in Massachusetts, knoiwng that she will need to obtain a college degree in order to achieve economic sel sufficiency.

The Road to Independent Living: Aging Out tells the story of one "aging out" foster youth leaving behind a life of abuse, neglect, and systemic indifference as she prepares to graduate from college. WIth only hope, inner strength and determination as her guide, she focuses her attention on her education, career and housing goals and makes the successful transition from foster youth to independent adult, despite the fact that she "ages out" without having a "forever family" or other supportive adults to guide her through the process.

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