Of all the things we take for granted, parental love is pretty high on the list, and yet few things are as important in setting our expectations and opportunities in life. But what happens when a child can’t depend on his or her parents? This is the story of Alexis and Justin Black, two young adults who grew up in the nation’s foster care system, and how, as young adults, they have overcome traumas of abandonment, abuse, and neglect to build a more hopeful life together.

Alexis (who was my student in AEI’s Summer Honors Program) and Justin joined me for this episode of “Hardly Working” to discuss their upbringing; what families, community, and government need to do to better help foster and at-risk youth; and their recent book, “Redefining Normal: How Two Foster Kids Beat the Odds and Discovered Healing, Happiness, and Love” (Global Perspectives Publishing, 2020).