KitsuneGao

"Ghostwriter" is my absolute favorite.

I was also in the system for 11 years, and aged out. When people find out about how I grew up in foster care, I feel like they almost admire me for turning out so well and overcoming such awful things... It's a nice feeling, but I feel like I was extremely lucky to be in foster care, as horrible as it can be sometimes.

It's definitely a hard thing to deal with, even after aging out... I still deal with a lot of issues I have and I'll be 26 next month.

The state I live in pays for an associate degree if you age out, which is awesome. Does your state pay for an associate? If you're unsure, you should definitely try to find out. It's a great help. It will also make you feel like you're doing something productive if you can get into school.

Also, do you have contact with any of your biological family? Most people who age out of foster care don't, but sometimes they do. I was curious about that.

(I think this is a very good AMA, btw! People are always so interested when I tell them I've lived almost half of my life in various homes and shelters, and they always have a lot of questions.)

That's a very hard, under-appreciated, and emotionally draining job... I respect you for choosing that as a career. There will be very hard cases at times, but just know you will make a difference in some child's life, and that is so important.

(I was in foster care for many years also, and) My social workers weren't always the best, but the ones who actually cared and talked to me still stick in my memory years later.