Meet Our CEO Jo August: Why Foster Care Matters | Let’s Talk About Fostering

Welcome to the very first episode of Let’s Talk About Fostering — the podcast from the Polaris Community, hosted by Faye.

In this episode, Faye is joined by Polaris CEO Jo August, who has 35+ years’ experience working across children’s services — and who also grew up in a fostering household. Jo shares her journey into social care, explains what Polaris does across fostering, residential care, schools and adoption, and challenges common misconceptions about foster care and children in care.

We also talk about:

Why Jo prefers the term “foster parent” over “foster carer”
The real impact of foster care (beyond the simplified definitions)
Why outcomes in foster care aren’t always “headline” moments — and why small wins matter
How to support children who foster (birth children in fostering households)
The qualities that help foster parents thrive: emotional intelligence and resilience

👉 If Jo’s story inspires you to start your own fostering journey, check the links in the description to learn more about fostering with Polaris.

Chapters
00:00 Welcome to the first episode + meet CEO Jo August
00:47 What Polaris does (fostering, homes, schools, adoption, services)
02:03 Jo’s career journey: “I’ve done every job”
03:32 Why Jo has dedicated her life to foster care
04:44 Growing up in a fostering household (respite → fostering)
07:00 Being a teenager in a fostering household (the honest reality)
07:56 Why foster with Polaris? Heritage + support
11:20 Why “foster parent” matters (language & identity)
12:40 The wider impact of great foster care
14:14 Challenging stigma: “they’re just children”
16:42 Measuring outcomes: why small wins matter
19:17 Supporting “children who foster”
21:08 Key qualities of foster parents
21:49 Why foster? The rewards of seeing young people thrive
24:44 A standout memory: resilience during COVID
25:35 Closing + how to learn more

#Fostering #FosterCare #LetsTalkAboutFostering #PolarisCommunity #FosterParents