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(See also Discussion Tips)
1. Do any of David, Risa, or Daniella's experiences in foster care seem similar to yours? If so, what is similar? What seems different from your own experience, or the experience of someone you know?
2. Discuss the following:
DAVID: One part of me was totally happy and exhilarated because I was free. Another part of me was full of despair because I was broke and homeless.
RISA: I didn't expect to come back [to Dolores' home]. I expected to have my own place and to have more things going for me than what I do now. I lost a lot of respect for myself. I felt angry for doing drugs, not doing as well as I can in school.
DANIELLA: I'm 20 years old and at 18 you can sign yourself out of [foster] care, I choose to be in the system, receiving financial support. But since Elijah's [her baby] been born, I don't think I am going to make it to 21, being in the system.
How do the situations of David, Risa, and Daniella compare to those of youth aging out of foster care in your community? What changes in foster care agencies or the foster care system might have made things better for each youth?
3. David, Risa, and Daniella each struggle to be independent of the foster care system while they still need help and support from their foster care parents and staff workers.
Daniella wants to live in her own apartment with her family, but acknowledges needing financial help from the foster care agency.
Risa is becoming more independent as she goes off to college, but still needs help adjusting to school and coming to terms with the abuse in her past.
David wants to be free of institutions but needs help getting on his feet.
What services could their case workers or agencies have provided that would have been most helpful to Daniella, Risa, and David in preparing them for aging out and becoming independent from the foster care system. Discuss each youth, in turn.
4. Choose David, Risa, or Daniella. Name one choice that s/he made or one thing s/he did that you thought was a good thing. Why was it good?
A. Choose David, Risa, or Daniella. Imagine that you were that person's friend. Name one choice or thing s/he did that you would have asked them to do differently. What would you have said to him/her?
B. What event or situation became a "turning point" for each youth -- a decision or situation that changed the path they were following? How did they handle the situation? What would you have done differently?
C. How did learning of Risa's tragic death make you feel? Did it recall any other stories you have heard about friends of family members who have been victims of violence?
D. Can you think of ways that we can learn from the tragedy of Risa's death and have her memory guide our efforts?
E. What do you imagine will happen next for Daniella and David? Discuss each youth, in turn.
Think about family and connections to caring adults, education, and employment.
What obstacles do they face?
What opportunities might make a difference for them?
Do you think they will have successful futures?
continue to TAKING ACTION on the next page 1 | 2 | 3 |
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FOSTER CARE RESOURCES
AGING OUT on PBS.org
Read foster care stories and watch video clips from the film
Learn more about the film, filmmakers and funders
Explore extensive print and online foster care information for youth and
communities
Order the film
Download a viewer's guide or brief (PDF)
JIM CASEY YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES INITIATIVE
What you can do to help youth transitioning from care
Links to foster
care and youth development organizations
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