Fostering Community: The Well Rooted Story

In this episode of the Be The Good Podcast, host Christy McCaffrey sits down with Sarah Todd, co-founder of Well Rooted, to explore the deeply human realities inside the foster care and reunification system. Sarah shares how her friendship with co-founder Katie evolved into a shared mission after they both became foster parents during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What began as a desire to support vulnerable children quickly revealed the overwhelming gaps facing not only foster families but also biological families working toward reunification and young adults aging out of the system. Through raw and honest storytelling, Sarah walks us through early placements that opened her eyes to trauma, instability, and the challenges families face when they are doing everything they can with very limited support.

As Sarah explains, their firsthand experiences exposed a heartbreaking truth: many families are desperately trying to rebuild, yet lack access to basics like meals, transportation, safe housing, and meaningful community. She shares transformative moments, such as witnessing a young adult aging out of care when she arrived at his apartment with almost nothing but the clothes on his back, and how the community rallied to furnish his entire home overnight. Stories like these helped shape the core mission of Well Rooted: to wrap practical and relational support around foster children, reunifying parents, and young adults who are stepping into adulthood without the safety net most people take for granted.

Throughout the conversation, Sarah highlights how Well Rooted now provides mentorship, essential resources, monthly support groups for caregivers, and “wish list experiences” that give young people opportunities to thrive beyond survival. She also speaks candidly about the emotional weight placed on foster parents, the appointments, court dates, trauma responses, and ripple effects felt by biological children and extended families. At its heart, this episode is a testament to the power of community, reminding listeners that while fostering and supporting vulnerable youth can be hard, it is profoundly good, and there are countless ways to get involved even if you’re not able to foster yourself.

Timestamps

0:00 – Intro and welcome

1:15 – How Sarah & Katie’s Friendship Evolved into a Mission

2:20 – Beginning the Foster Journey (2019–2020)

3:10 – COVID Disruptions & First Foster Experiences

7:20 – Realizing the Gaps in Support for Foster Families

10:00 – Challenges Reunifying Families Face

11:05 – Supporting Young Adults Aging Out of the System

15:10 – Launching the One-Year Mentorship Program

16:05 – Why Well Rooted Was Created

17:10 – Understanding the Realities of Foster-Care Trauma

22:05 – Meeting Immediate Needs: Food, Transit, Phones, Rent

26:10 – Understanding the Demands on Foster Parents

28:10 – The Emotional & Environmental Shift Inside the Home

29:05 – The “Hard” vs “Good” of Fostering for Families

34:00 – Changing Futures Through Relationship, Not Resources Alone

35:10 – Misconceptions About Foster Children

36:00 – Misconceptions About Foster Parents

37:00 – Ways to Help Without Fostering

38:00 – Episode summary