Born in 1967 in a mother-and-baby home, Louise Allen was adopted into a family with a known history of cruelty—despite official warnings—and endured years of neglect and abuse before running away at 15. Now a bestselling author and foster carer, she uses books like Thrown Away Children and Slave Girls to expose systemic failings and fight for those the care system leaves behind. Through Spark Sisterhood and the Care to Career programme, she empowers young women from care with skills, opportunities, and the belief that their futures matter.