Sara-Ann Poirier
Sara Poirier grew up in a remote area on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. The isolation in Sara’s childhood led to horrific child abuse that could be hidden easily. Sara was unaware of how abnormal her life was until her early teen years. Sara was taken into foster care at the age of 15. Because of her age, child welfare services struggled to find foster parents willing to take Sara in. Sara spent a majority of her time in foster care scared, confused, lacking stability, and feeling unwanted. Sara’s transition out of foster care wasn’t easy either. She went from a social worker who had little regard for her needs directly into the arms of her violent drunk of a boyfriend.
During young adulthood Sara struggled with addiction, homelessness, unsafe sex-work practices, and being in and out of the hospital for her mental health.
Regardless of these factors, Sara was able to graduate university with a bachelor of arts, majoring in sociology. Sara also spent two terms on the Youth Advisory Council for the provincial director of Child Welfare. Sara continues to feel an urgency to help youth in care and former youth in care. Sara is hopeful this book will have an impact on the child welfare system in Canada.