Film’s focus on fostering

A powerful short film aimed at encouraging more foster carers to come forward has been released.

Leicestershire county and Leicester city councils have joined forces with 32 other local authorities and fostering organisations from across Britain for the national release of “Out There”.

The unique film project, developed by the West Midlands Regional Fostering Recruitment Forum, is working with councils who have funded its creation and highlights the ways fostering can make a difference to the lives of everyone involved, from the children and young people who live with foster carers, to those who come forward to care for them.

The aim is that it will be shared on social media in cities, towns and villages across the UK, reaching countless people and showing them the many benefits fostering brings and helping children and young people into safe, nurturing homes.

Councillor Deborah Taylor, county council lead for children and family services, said: “While we already have many brilliant foster carers in Leicestershire, the reality is we always need more people to open their homes and their hearts to fostering.

“There are almost 700 children in the care of Leicestershire County Council and we are always looking for those special people to come forward to volunteer as foster carers and to make a real difference to the lives of these children.

“This project has been a fantastic way of working together to make the production of a high-quality film that will be a real asset to our recruitment of new foster carers.”

Councillor Sarah Russell, deputy city mayor for social care and antipoverty, said: “Foster carers change lives. This film will help to raise the profile of fostering and encourage more people to consider it as an option. I’m very pleased that we have been able to support it.”

People interested in fostering in Leicestershire and Leicester can go to leicestershire.gov.uk/education-andchildren/ or leicester.gov.uk/fostering.