Foster Care Fortnight: Sarah Thomas

Sarah Thomas, Chief Executive of the Fostering Network, delivers a powerful and personal account of how her own experience as a care-experienced child shaped her lifelong commitment to social work. She reveals that fostering isn't about replacing families, but about extending them—creating a network of care that supports children and families together. Her leadership has driven innovative programs like Step Up, Step Down, which trains foster carers to support biological parents in keeping their children at home, with 95% of participants remaining in family care. Sarah challenges the UK’s fragmented fostering system, arguing that the removal of profit in Wales hasn’t caused the rise in unregulated placements—instead, it’s a symptom of deeper failures in local authority capacity and 24/7 support. She calls for a national foster carer register, trauma-informed out-of-hours services, and shift-based social work to ensure children aren’t left in crisis. The episode culminates in a surprise moment: Sarah introduces Roxy and Judy, two real-life 'traitors' from the podcast’s fan-favorite segment, who share their journey from foster care to adoption—proving that the most powerful change often comes from those who’ve lived it.