A powerful new fostering film will support Calderdale’s campaign to recruit more foster carers in the borough, sharing the message that anyone with a capacity to care can foster a child or young person.
‘Any Of Us’ is the sixth film produced by a growing partnership of councils and children’s trusts to promote local authority fostering. It 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. It’s available to watch at https://youtu.be/PDnQ-ZFPFrI(external link) and on the Council’s and Foster4Calderdale’s social media channels.
In Calderdale, like the rest of the country, there is a shortage of local authority foster carers to care for children and young people of all ages. The ‘Any Of Us’ project will be the largest public sector fostering film collaboration yet, and Calderdale Council is one of over 80 participants from right across the country.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, Cllr Adam Wilkinson, said:
“We need more dedicated and caring people to consider fostering and make a real difference to a young person’s life – supporting them to thrive and creating a loving foster family.
“We’re joining forces with local authorities and children’s trusts across the country to take part in the ‘Any of Us’ project, a fostering film which highlights that anyone who cares has the potential to become a foster carer.
“The love and care that our foster carers show is truly inspiring, and we know there are many more Calderdale residents whose kindness could transform a foster child’s life. I’d encourage anyone who’s considering a career in foster care, to speak to our supportive team and find out more about what the process involves.”
The three adult characters in ‘Any Of Us’ include different individuals in very different scenarios, but each in their own way showing 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 the young person, Chloe. But which one of the three will be the one to make the difference? The main character’s stories are all interwoven with Chloe’s, as we see her journey into fostering.
The film has been produced by Reel TwentyFive and project managed by CAN Digital and Project Director, Rachel Brown. Rachel explains the thinking behind the film:
“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 wider 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.”
Sarah Thomas, Chief Executive of the Fostering Network says:
“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.”
For more information about fostering with Calderdale Council, visit www.calderdale.gov.uk/fostering The website contains lots of information about the support available and benefits of fostering as well as detail about the process and commitment involved. You can also call 01422 266020, email fostering@calderdale.gov.uk or find out more on Facebook at https://en-gb.facebook.com/foster4calderdale/(external link)
‘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.
ENDS