A powerful new film has been released to recruit more foster carers in the biggest collaboration of its kind nationally to show that anyone can potentially care for a child or young person in need.
The Any Of Us project will be the largest public sector fostering film collaboration yet, with North Yorkshire Council joining more than 80 participants from Northumberland to Brighton and Liverpool to Kent.
The film – the sixth produced by this growing partnership of councils and children’s trusts to promote local authority fostering – was launched on Tuesday (26 September).
Any Of Us looks at three very different people who all show some of the attributes needed to be a foster carer in incidents from their daily lives – Ayesha going to the aid of a pedestrian after a minor road accident, Neil calming down an aggressive situation in a snooker club, and Marsha identifying a young person showing signs of distress and intervening with them at school. These are different individuals in very different scenarios, but each in their own way shows the caring instinct that is fundamental to being a foster carer.
The film develops so that it becomes clear that one of these three everyday people will become the foster carer to Chloe. The main characters’ stories are all interwoven with Chloe’s, as we see her journey into fostering.
Executive member for children and families, Cllr Janet Sanderson, said: “First and foremost, this highlights the fact that anyone who cares has the potential to become a foster carer.
“All councils have their own area they want to recruit foster carers from, so it makes great business sense to collaborate to produce a high-quality film that communicates a universal message - we all need more people to step forward and become foster carers.
“That message is the same, from London to North Yorkshire – every town, city and county - consider whether you can offer a home to our most vulnerable children and young people.
“We really care about the work that we do. It’s all about giving children a chance to thrive and become the best person they can be.”
Fostering North Yorkshire is the council’s not-for-profit fostering service. Until 31 December, newly approved foster carers are being offered a golden hello of £500. Find out more about fostering for Fostering North Yorkshire.
The Any Of Us film has been produced by Reel TwentyFive and project managed by CAN Digital.
Project director Rachel Brown said: “Whilst there is always a core message about the difference fostering makes within our films, Any Of Us has been more ambitious in telling three different stories from diverse foster carers, based around them sharing their experiences with people considering fostering.
“We hope that this will mean that the film and its messaging will appeal to as wide an audience as possible and encourage people to foster for their local authority.
“Fostering directly with your council or children’s trust means that you can support your local community by working with a fostering service that is dedicated to supporting local children and young people who need a nurturing, safe fostering home.”
The chief executive of the Fostering Network, Sarah Thomas, said: “The Fostering Network has supported this project since the first collaborative film, Giants, in 2017. It’s fantastic to see the fostering services work together to amplify their message to recruit much-needed foster carers. There’s currently a shortage of 6,000 fostering households in England, so films like this have a vital role to play in encouraging more people to become foster carers.
“A lot of people – rightly – praised the John Lewis fostering advert at Christmas time, as poignant and socially responsible. All Of Us is right up there alongside it. Now, it’s our job to have it seen as widely as possible, so more people to take the first step and become the foster carers we need, right across England.”
Any Of Us is the latest in a series of film collaborations that started in 2017 with Giants, which was supported by a small number of local authorities in the Midlands and has now grown to a national project across England, reflecting the need to recruit more foster carers.