Sara's Story - From Client to CEO

As a pregnant teenager, Sara Foster felt scared and ashamed sitting in the waiting room at her local women's health centre.

"I felt like the floor could swallow me whole," she said.

"Here I was, this young single woman who had just finished school six months ago.

"I was so worried about being judged."

Two decades later, Ms Foster has returned to the Central Coast Community Women's Health Clinic — this time as its chief executive officer.

"It is such a full-circle moment," she said.

"I was in this room waiting for my [CEO job] interview where two decades ago I was waiting as a lost pregnant teenager."

Centre provides 'safe space'

After leaving school, Ms Foster became a jillaroo working on different cattle or sheep yards across New South Wales.

She had just turned 18 when she met a man at a rodeo and unexpectedly fell pregnant with her eldest son, Jayden. 

"His father didn't really want much to do with me when I became pregnant," she said.

"It was a challenge, being a young mum, but particularly having to do it all alone."

Feeling unsupported and uncertain, Ms Foster's doctor referred her to the Central Coast Community Women's Health Clinic.

She said the care she received from the centre was "so much more" than the initial pregnancy counselling and general prenatal care.

"It became my safe space."

"The people at the centre actually asked me: 'What do you want?'

"They gave me choices I didn't even know I had and listened to me, listened to my story."

'Lost' pregnant teen to CEO

Ms Foster hung up her boots as a jillaroo shortly after discovering she was pregnant.

When Jayden was one, she was accepted into a university pathway program and worked in management ever since.

She said she always wanted to work in women's health and "return the favour".

"Because this place changed the trajectory of my life."

"It's lit a fire within my tummy to help other women feel that support and empowerment I got."

Ms Foster said she was dedicated to developing the centre's services since it opened in 1976, including domestic violence and trauma counselling, general women's health, and casework.

She hoped to expand the existing centres at Wyoming, Wyong, and Woy Woy to more areas of the Central Coast.

"We need to amplify our reach because many women still don't know we're here," Ms Foster said.

She's excited for the future of her role, and the heritage she brings to it.

"I'm a very proud mum and now a just as proud CEO," she said.

Benefits of 'lived experience' in a workplace

RMIT associate professor Lena Wang applauded the centre for employing someone with "such a history" to a senior role.

"Having [lived experience] in the workforce is crucial because it can bring higher levels of empathy," Dr Wang said.

"This is significantly beneficial in Sara's position as it is a service that might require extra sensitivity or understanding to clients."

Dr Wang is a collaborator for the "Lived Experience Leadership" organisation and said she had seen the benefits of hiring management with personally lived experiences.

"We've seen that it can lead to better decision-making," she said.

"They provide unique insights and ideas that sometimes only they can do."

Dr Wang hopes more local health services get the opportunity to hire their workforce with lived experience employees.