In a ground-breaking national collaboration, 56 local authorities across England have worked together to share ideas and jointly fund the creation of a short film to raise awareness of fostering.
The purpose of this project is to help find people in our communities who may be interested in becoming Foster Carers and providing nurturing, positive homes for local children and young people who need them.
The new film, simply called ‘Childhood’, highlights the impact of neglect on children, particularly brothers and sisters who may be left at times to try and care for each other. It follows the journey of ‘Sophie’ and ‘Charlie’, starting with their difficult home situation where their needs were not being met, and finishing with them being encouraged, as a result of foster care, to attend school and enjoy their hobbies and interests – in other words, have a childhood.
The film company ReelTwentyFive who made this film, have produced other films to highlight the need for Foster Carers.
Anita Hewson, Recruitment and Assessment Service Manager for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fostering Service, said: “I am delighted to see that we are part of this project to help find more local Foster Carers for our local children and young people. This film really highlights the incredible impact that Foster Carers make and how their determination and dedication really do help to change lives.
“I urge anyone who is considering fostering to call or visit our website today and talk to us about any questions that you may have. We have extensive training and local support networks and will support you every step of the way.”
Rachel Brown, who has been a Foster Carer recruiter for a number of years and led on the national project, said: “Sadly, there is an unmet need for Foster Carers in the country today and there is likely to be an increase in this need. The cost of living crisis and other struggles families across the UK are facing creates and escalates difficulties for many.”
“Having worked on previous projects we know that these beautifully crafted films have a real impact. With the support of Council Advertising Network, I am proud that we will reach even further around the country, a third of all council fostering services in England. We’d like to thank every single person involved in what has been a great collaborative experience.”
A total of 56 local authorities have been involved in the project, and the film will have a live premiere at midday on 13 October at The Everyman Cinema, Birmingham. This will include an introduction from Kevin Williams, the Chief Executive of The Fostering Network, and Rachel Brown, project manager working with Council Advertising Network. Everyone attending from the participating councils will then be asked to share the film via all social media platforms and help the message spread across the UK using the hashtag #FosterForYourCouncil and #Childhood.
The film will be available to watch and share from all participating local authority platforms from noon on 13 October 2022.
Are you considering becoming a Foster Carer? When you foster for your local authority, we will provide you with:
- Local training and development close to you.
- Generous pay and benefits including a startup package.
- 24/7 support from a Supervising Social Worker as well as an amazing first year next steps training programme.
- Local support groups with other Foster Carers and peer mentoring.
To become a Foster Carer, you must be over 21, have a spare bedroom, and be willing and able to provide a stable, loving environment in which a child or young person can thrive. If this is you, please get in touch:
- Visit: www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/fostering
- Email: fostering@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
- Call: 0800 052 0078
