The Big Book of Fostering

Creative Concern was commissioned by the Northwest Fostering Forum - the fostering body that works with all 23 local authorities across the Northwest – to tackle the shortfall in foster carers.

Our approach was to put foster carers themselves at the forefront of a dynamic recruitment drive and to use a new campaign to dispel some of the myths and common misconceptions about who can foster. The You Can Foster campaign featured carers from different ethnic backgrounds in a diverse range of situations including a gay couple, a single woman, a couple with their own children and a couple who rent their home.

Creative Concern’s multi-disciplinary campaign involved a targeted PR strategy involving a Big Book of Fostering tour across the region, an innovative TV and radio advertising campaign and a new website www.youcanfoster.org. In the first three weeks alone the campaign delivered over 7000 unique visitors to the website with 800 requests for information packs made in the first month alone. The campaign is well on target to secure 150 new foster carers and has been taken up by other regions across the UK as an innovative way to make a difference.