Warwickshire Fostering is launching a new "Myths and Legends" campaign to challenge common misconceptions about fostering.
Warwickshire Fostering is launching a new "Myths and Legends" campaign to challenge common misconceptions about fostering and encourage more residents to discover whether they could make a difference to the life of a local child.
Warwickshire currently has over 800 children in care, sadly over half of these children are fostered out of Warwickshire, due to a shortage of local foster carers. Fostering locally helps children remain connected to the people, places and support networks that matter most to them.
Warwickshire's campaign supports the national fostering recruitment campaign launched by the Department for Education, which aims to encourage more people to consider fostering and tackle the myths that often stop people from making an enquiry.
Using imaginative graphics featuring mythical creatures including unicorns, dragons, fairies and festive characters, the campaign will tackle some of the most common reasons people believe they cannot foster, such as:
- "I'm too young to foster."
- "I'm too old to foster."
- "I work full-time, so I can't foster."
- "I rent my home, so I can't foster."
- "I don't have the right experience."
- "I'm single, so I can't foster."
- "My house is too small."
- "I don't have children of my own."
While the campaign focuses on myths and legends, Warwickshire's real legends are the foster carers who open their hearts and homes to children and young people every day.
Across the county, foster carers from a wide range of backgrounds provide safe, stable and nurturing homes for children who cannot live with their birth families. Many people are surprised to discover that fostering is more flexible and accessible than they first thought, with opportunities including short-term, emergency and flexible fostering arrangements. The national and local campaign highlights that fostering is more open, flexible and supported than many people expect.
Cllr Wayne Briggs, Portfolio Holder for Children and Families, Education and SEND at Warwickshire County Council, said:
"When people think about fostering, it's often the barriers that come to mind first. Many residents rule themselves out before they've even had a conversation with us because they believe they are too old, too young, don't have enough experience or that their circumstances aren't right.
"Through our Myths and Legends campaign, we're highlighting these misconceptions and encouraging people to discover the facts.
"We know there are many people in Warwickshire who could make fantastic foster carers and may simply not realise it. I would encourage anyone who is curious about fostering to get in touch with our team, join an information event and find out more about the opportunities available."
The campaign will run throughout the autumn and winter, with themed content linked to seasonal moments such as Halloween and Christmas, helping to keep fostering conversations visible while drawing attention to the need for more local foster carers.
Residents interested in fostering are encouraged to attend an online information event, request a brochure or speak directly to the Warwickshire Fostering team.
To find out more about fostering in Warwickshire call 0800 408 1556, email fosteringenquiries@warwickshire.gov.uk or visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fostering