The campaign aims to address common reasons why people believe they cannot foster, such as age, employment status, housing, experience, marital status, house size, or not having children of their own. It highlights that many of these perceived barriers are myths and that fostering is often more accessible and flexible than people realise.
Currently, over 800 children are in care in Warwickshire, with more than half being fostered outside the county due to a shortage of local carers. Fostering locally helps children maintain connections with their communities and support networks.
The initiative supports the national fostering recruitment campaign by the Department for Education. It uses imaginative graphics featuring mythical creatures to tackle misconceptions and promote the reality that foster carers are the county's 'real legends'.
“"When people think about fostering, it's often the barriers that come to mind first. Many residents rule themselves out before they've even had a conversation with us because they believe they are too old, too young, don't have enough experience or that their circumstances aren't right. Through our Myths and Legends campaign, we're highlighting these misconceptions and encouraging people to discover the facts. We know there are many people in Warwickshire who could make fantastic foster carers and may simply not realise it. I would encourage anyone who is curious about fostering to get in touch with our team, join an information event and find out more about the opportunities available."
The campaign will run through autumn and winter, with themed content for seasonal moments like Halloween and Christmas, aiming to keep fostering conversations visible and address the need for more local carers. Residents interested in fostering can attend online information events, request a brochure, or contact the Warwickshire Fostering team directly.
