Dudley Council is encouraging people who live in the borough to find out more about fostering, with a new national fostering video that has been released.
Entitled ‘Everything’, the film has been produced by a partnership of local authorities.
It is the seventh film produced by a growing partnership of councils and children’s trusts to promote local authority fostering.
‘Everything’ follows foster carer Mike and his family on a journey through time with two of the children they have looked after, who are now adults. A surprise 60th birthday party for Mike gives Will and Zara a chance to reflect on how being fostered made a difference to their lives, thanking him for everything.
Thanks to footage shot on a genuine old camcorder, we are taken to the 1990s, to see how Will settles into the family. We also jump back to the 2010s, when a young Zara is being taught to play the guitar by Mike, something that comes full circle when she performs a song at the party. Mike’s son Chris is involved throughout, showing the important role the children of foster carers play.
Councillor David Stanley, cabinet member for children’s services, said:
“Under our Child Friendly borough agenda, we are committed to giving the children and young people who we care for the best chance to thrive, for many this is in the care of local fostering families.”
“The ‘Everything’ project film highlights the long-term impact fostering can have, with relationships between carers and children lasting well into adulthood.
“Like many councils, we want to recruit more foster carers, and I hope this new video will show people how rewarding and life changing fostering is.”
‘Everything’ 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 into a national project across England.
It has been developed with the input and insight of foster carers and people with care experience. It is produced by Reel TwentyFive and project managed by public sector media partner CAN/Rachel Brown.
Sarah Thomas, chief executive of the Fostering Network says:
"The Fostering Network has been proud to support the collaborative film projects since 'Giants' in 2017.
“It's great to see local authority fostering services pooling resources to produce another amazing film.
“'Everything' will help to amplify their message about the chronic shortage of fostering households, encouraging more people to come forward and foster.”
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