Sarah Saran oversees operations, training, and staff for our intact teams within Chicago and the northern, central, and southern regions of Illinois as well as our Extended Family Support Program in Metro and the southern region, and our Child Welfare Service Referral Program in northern Cook County.
Sarah has served in her current role since 2020, assessing community needs to develop and execute program plans in alignment with our strategic initiatives and Blueprint <LINK>. She represents our agency on the Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS) policy creation team, providing guidance to the Department on policy and practice.
Prior to joining Children’s Home & Aid, Sarah spent four years at the Children’s Home Association of Illinois, first as an Intact Family Services Supervisor and then as the Director of Intact Family Services. She oversaw operations, training, and staff, in addition to collaborating with families. During her time there, Sarah developed strategic relationships with community providers, court systems, DCFS, and other agencies. She participated in external groups such as the Intact Child Welfare Advisory Council to DCFS, Illinois State University Community Advisory Board, and the Child Endangerment Risk Assessment Protocol (CERAP) subcommittee.
Sarah’s experience includes time at the Center for Youth and Family Solutions where she supervised a combined team of placement and intact workers, led operations for her department, partnered with families, and advocated for children and families’ best interest to DCFS and the Juvenile Court system. While serving as a Foster Care Family Worker at the Center for Youth and Family Solutions, Sarah participated in court hearings, home visits, and other assessments to support families in their reunification, and engaged with service providers as well as legal and medical professionals to connect families with support.
Sarah received a Master of Social Work and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Illinois State University.