"Thousands of young people in the United States are terminated from foster care services each year because they have reached the age of ineligibility, commonly referred to as "aging out." These young women and men face the challenges of adulthood with whatever survival skills they have acquired during childhoods marked by abuse, neglect, loss, and instability. Studies indicate that a significant number of these youth are not prepared to secure and maintain the resources they need to succeed in adulthood such as stable housing, steady employment, and continued education. Among those who age out of foster care are young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT). Although research has increased an understanding of the experiences of LGBT youth while in foster care, studies focusing on their experiences while transitioning out of this system and into adulthood have been largely absent in the literature. This qualitative study is an effort to address this gap in the research."--From abstract.
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