Foster Care Fortnight
Foster Care Fortnight 2012 takes place from Monday 14 to Sunday 27 May.
Foster Care Fortnight is our annual campaign to raise the profile of fostering. It is the UK's biggest fostering recruitment campaign and last year over 35 million people heard about the need for more foster carers.
We are delighted that this year's campaign has gained so much celebrity support. Oscar-nominated actor Samantha Morton and celebrity baker Lorraine Pascale, who were both in foster care, have thrown their weight behind Foster Care Fortnight 2012, together with singer and son of foster carers Gareth Gates. Television personalities Gabby Logan and Fern Britton, founder of male voice choir Only Men Aloud, Tim Rhys-Evans, and award-winning author Jacqueline Wilson are also supporting this year's campaign.
22 minutes fostering awareness campaign
Every 22 minutes a child comes into care and needs a foster family. This is the Fostering Network's lead message across traditional and social media activity for Foster Care Fortnight 2012 (14-27 May). It highlights the urgent need for foster carers right across the country – we estimate that at least 8,750 new foster families are needed in 2012 alone.
Help us to spread the word by encouraging your friends, family and colleagues to visit www.22minutes.org.uk which contains more inspirational films and blogs from foster carers. Social media is a great way to help get the message out. Take a look at our handy guides on using social media during Foster Care Fortnight: A guide to Facebook and A guide to Twitter.
If you are thinking about becoming a foster carer and would like more information or have any questions please visit the Could You Foster website.
The Fostering Network’s press office can provide news, features and case studies, as well as experts to talk on a range of fostering issues.
Media can contact our press office on 020 7620 6425, or media@fostering.net. Visit our Foster Care Fortnight media centre or download our press pack or commercial opportunities guide now.
Resources for members
Three guides are available for fostering services, full of ways to get involved in the campaign and top tips on how to raise the profile of fostering all year round.
Members can download these guides now:
Making the most of Foster Care Fortnight 2012 – your guide to getting involved
Making the most of Foster Care Fortnight 2012 – maximising media coverage
Making the most of Foster Care Fortnight 2012 - recruiting online
Members can also download the fostering: time to care logos to use on promotional materials and your local press.
Motivations to Foster toolkit
We are delighted to announce the release of this new toolkit to support recruitment and retention for fostering services. The Motivations to Foster contains the findings of a survey, carried out by the Fostering Network and funded by the Department for Education and contains key information about who fosters and why they foster. With increasing numbers of children coming into care and an on-going shortage of foster carers, the toolkit looks at what is working well already and how to build on that success. We would like to thank all our foster carers who shared their stories to help improve foster care at local and national level.