There is a nationwide shortage of foster carers mirrored by a shortage of people across the UK considering adoption. Sunderland Adoption Service alone had over 500 children in care waiting for the right carer or adopter to come along – and a limited budget to do something about it. It was important that an awareness campaign would be created to achieve the right impact and convey an appropriate tone.
It’s vitally important that the time children and young people have to spend whilst waiting for a fostering placement is kept to a minimum but following several consultations with the Children’s Services team, existing foster carers and adoptive parents, we found that potential carers were often discouraged because they (wrongly) believed that they had to meet an exhaustive list of criteria in order to foster or adopt. We needed to change that.
Our simple, powerful campaign concentrated on removing these misconceptions… you don’t need to be married, have children, be employed or own your own home to be a foster carer or adoptive parent… all you do need – is to care.
The challenge to find a home and place children is ongoing and has never been more important. It was important that the campaign communicated clearly that applications are welcomed from all corners of society whether they are single or a same-sex couple. Ethnicity and religious background hold no barriers either.
“The important word here is CARE... fostering and adoption are caring careers, for those who feel they have a lot of love to give.”
