This piece for the New York Times Neediest Cases Fund tells the story of Charles Louis, a young man who aged out of foster care in the US and the difficulties he experienced in childhood and in foster care as well as in transitioning out of care. The article explains that, while in foster care at the age of 11, Louis was prescribed several psychotropic medications that had not been approved for use in children. "Children in foster care, who have experienced trauma and often lack the safety net of concerned adults questioning and tracking prescribed medications, are more likely to be put on such drugs, said Dr. Christopher Bellonci, vice president for policy and practice at Judge Baker Children’s Center, a nonprofit in Boston that focuses on mental health." Nearly one in five children in foster care in the US is prescribed these types of medications, according to the Government Accountability Office.
The article continues to describe the ways in which he lacked support and stability in his teenage and young adult years, going back and forth between his biological and adoptive families and experiencing homelessness and the death of his father. Eventually, with support from local comunity-based organizations that provide shelter and other needed services, Louis was able to secure part-time work and housing, where he lives now with his pets.