“Congratulations, You’re On Your Own” takes an intimate look at the real-life stories of several young people who have recently “aged out” of foster care. In LA County, most young people age out of the foster system at age 21. At that point, they exceed the maximum age requirement needed for their caregiver to receive financial support and are often forced to leave the family or guardian who was previously legally and financially incentivized to assist them. Once out of foster care, these former foster youth must wade through life on their own. Michael Nes’s insightful and powerfully moving documentary explains how children enter the foster care system, what happens while they are there, and especially the hardships they face as they transition out.

Watch the full documentary, here: Congratulations, You’re On Your Own: Life After Foster Care | To Foster Change