Sara-Ann Poirier’s childhood involved more fear than warmth—more silence than laughter. She grew up in an unstable home on Vancouver Island in BC, Canada, where neglect and abuse loomed large. Her cries for help were unheard for too long. Imagine a small child never sure if someone would bring dinner, read a story, or even care that she had bruises. Early intervention didn’t happen, so she fell deeper into an unhealthy environment. By the time help arrived, Sara’s sense of safety was already torn apart. She wrote Diary of a Foster Kid: My Survival Story to guide others toward spotting red flags, because the consequences can be tragic when warning signs go unnoticed.
Navigating the Foster Care Maze
Sara’s journey into foster care was abrupt. One day, she was living in fear at home—then she was taken from the only life she knew. She describes the complicated switch from a volatile household to a system meant to keep her safe. Yet safety often felt like a distant concept. She went through seven foster homes in four years, with each placement stirring up new confusion. She could only carry a few items from house to house, and she never felt settled. Some homes offered hope, while others left her feeling more alone. She wanted structure, but the routine of constant moves eroded her trust.
As she approached her teenage years, she faced typical adolescent challenges on top of the trauma she’d already endured. School was hard. Relationships were messy. An unsettled heart overshadowed every interaction. She longed for people who cared about her emotional well-being. Her book reveals the moments that pushed her forward—small gestures of kindness by foster parents or social workers who saw her as a person rather than another file. Those moments carried her through dark times. She eventually aged out of foster care, feeling scared and lacking a strong support network. She also realized her experiences were far from unique. Plenty of young people in the system face the same problem: they age out without proper guidance or connections.
Trauma’s Lingering Impact
Sara’s story explores how trauma follows an individual into adulthood. She shows that removing a child from a harmful home doesn’t ensure healing. The wounds run deep. Victims often struggle with self-esteem and healthy boundaries, which can lead them into repeated cycles of abuse or unhealthy relationships. She found herself in a domestic abuse situation years later—another layer of heartbreak that fueled her determination to speak up.
Through therapy, Sara discovered the power of narrative. She started writing her memories to make sense of her pain. Her counselor recognized the value in these personal accounts and suggested that social work students could benefit from an inside look at foster care. Sara says it wasn’t easy reliving each vivid memory, but she believed it might help others spot the warning signs of child abuse earlier. Her writing became part of her healing, and each page reminded her that her voice mattered.
Transforming Pain into Purpose
Sara doesn’t shame social workers or foster parents. She shares her experiences so readers can see the ripple effect of well-meaning decisions and overlooked details. She knows there are good people who want to protect children, and she’s offering a blueprint for them. She wrote this book for those on the front lines—people who decide where a child sleeps tonight, who assess if a child is truly safe. Her honest account pushes readers to be aware of the damage caused by delayed interventions.
She finished her Sociology degree and then stepped away from sales and management to focus on her healing journey. Completing this memoir became a personal mission, woven into her path toward wholeness. She believes each chapter can spark reflection among social workers, foster parents, and even teachers who see bruises or hear concerning stories. Sara’s own past shines a light on the importance of immediate action and consistent emotional support.
There’s a strong call to action throughout her work. She tells readers to watch for quiet cries—those signals children send when they’re in danger. She talks about looking beyond physical signs of abuse, because emotional and psychological harm also leave lasting scars. She encourages community members to step up if they suspect a child is at risk. She knows small gestures can mean everything—like a caring foster parent making a child feel heard for the first time.
Sara’s book is meant to be uncomfortable. Reading about abuse isn’t pleasant, yet she believes growth arises when people confront tough truths. She wants her experiences to serve as an educational tool for social work students and anyone involved in child welfare. A single story can shift perspectives, and that shift can save lives.
A New Path Forward
Sara hopes that by sharing her story, current and future foster youth will feel less isolated. She wants them to know they matter. She also hopes to see foster care systems evolve, with more focus on emotional healing and solid aftercare programs. The goal isn’t simply to place a child somewhere—it’s to nurture resilience.
Her message resonates with readers who understand that a single action—like reporting suspected abuse or offering a supportive home—can alter the course of a child’s life. Diary of a Foster Kid: My Survival Story serves as a reminder: children deserve stability, respect, and love. Sara’s experiences demonstrate how tragic events can become catalysts for change. Each reader is invited to take a step toward safeguarding vulnerable children. By embracing open dialogue, early intervention, and genuine compassion, the odds of saving a child’s life increase. It takes determination, but the results can echo for generations.
We had the privilege of interviewing the author. Here are excerpts from the interview:
Thank you so much for joining us today! Please introduce yourself and tell us what you do.
My name is Sara, and I’m a former youth in care. I hope to help current and future youth in care. I went through foster care on Vancouver Island in BC, Canada. I want to bring to light what has happened and continues to happen in our small communities. This is my first time writing and it has been a crucial part of my healing journey.
Please tell us about your journey.
Seven years ago I was seeing a domestic abuse counselor who was trying to help me out of the domestic abuse situation I was in. We started narrative therapy to help me reframe my past so I wouldn’t continue to be a victim. When my counselor started reading what I wrote about my childhood and my experiences in foster care she said that her social work students could really benefit from reading what I had written. At that point, I started making a chronological timeline of my life and started writing in a way that would be engaging for readers. By the time I finished my Sociology degree I still hadn’t finished my book. It was only within the last year, when I left behind my career in sales and management to pursue my healing journey with my care team. Finishing this book has become part of my healing journey, but I think it could help others with their healing journies, too.
Please tell us about your book.
My book is a memoir of the trauma I experienced at the hands of my birth parents, my abrupt transition into foster care, the constant abandonment I experienced in foster care, the 7 foster homes I went through in 4 years, and aging out of foster care scared and alone. I did not write this book because I feel I am important; I wrote this book because I want current and future youth in care to know they are important. I want this book to be used as a learning tool for those who are directly affecting the lives of children and youth in foster care.
What are the strategies that helped you become successful in your journey?
There have been many points in my life where I wanted to die or I thought I should have died, but something in the universe kept me here. I have learned that I am not powerless and I can create the life I deserve. I also have learned to listen to the universe and follow the signs it gives me to keep me on the right path. I used to think we are limited to the life that we are given and at the mercy of what was to happen to us. I know now how to harness my power, and I hope to teach others how to do the same.
Any message for our readers.
Where ever you are in life there will be something you can learn from this book. I learned a lot just from writing it. I learned how to see my story from different perspectives and take accountability for my part in my story. I have also learned to forgive myself for believing there was something wrong with me and forgive others for their actions or inactions that led me to where I am now. I particularly recommend this book as a guide for foster parents, social workers, and anyone who works with children and youth.
Thank you so much, Sara, for giving us your precious time! We wish you all the best for your journey ahead!
