Oumar Bowman describes how he starts dating Nina, who is also in the system. They grow very tight because their biological parents are dead and they don’t have close relatives. They become as tight as family as they care for each other’s needs.

Prompts for discussion and/or writing:

--Oumar and Nina are both in the system, have a relationship, and have a good experience. Have you ever gone out with someone in the system? Was it a good or a bad experience? Why?

--Oumar says he and Nina are especially close to each other because they don’t have families or too many other people to rely on. Have you developed especially close relationships with anyone in the system because of your own family situation? Why/why not?

--Have you been able to find people in the system who have become like family to you? Who are they and how are they like family?