Rotherham Council has unveiled a film to inspire more residents to step forward as foster carers, helping children and young people find the loving homes they deserve.
Supported by over 100 councils across England, Fostering is…Everything highlights the lifelong bonds that fostering creates between children and their fostering family.
The emotionally powerful film follows foster carer Mike on a heartfelt journey through time with two of the children he looked after, Will and Zara, who are now adults. During a surprise 60th birthday party for Mike, Will and Zara reflect on how their time with him shaped their lives, thanking him for everything he has done for them.
Zara recalled: “When I first came to stay with my foster family, I was so nervous! But I have such great memories of that time, and I hope they do too. I don’t really know what would have happened to me without Mike.”
Will reflected: “It's hard to put things into words. Everything I've got, everything I have now, I owe to my foster family. I look back and am grateful for everything they’ve done for me. For everything, thank you.”
With children in Rotherham in need of a safe and loving home, the Council is urging caring individuals to consider fostering. Whether you’ve thought about fostering before or are just learning about it now, the film shows that opening your home to a child can be a positive and life-changing experience, for both the carer and the child.
Cabinet Member for Children and Young People at Rotherham Council, Cllr Victoria Cusworth added: “The story of Will, Zara, and Mike reflects many experiences within our fostering community and shows how our foster carers’ actions can be life-changing for a child or young person.
“We have amazing fostering families in Rotherham who tell us fostering is one of the most rewarding things you can do. This film will help us reach more people in the borough and the surrounding area and encourage them to take that step to become part of this incredibly important community.”
From offering a loving home to providing emotional support, foster carers play a vital role in nurturing and guiding children through challenging times. The Council urges anyone who has ever considered fostering or feels inspired by this film to get in touch for more information.
For further details on fostering and to watch the film, visit https://www.fosteringrotherham.com/everything.
Interested readers can book an information call on the Fostering Rotherham website, or read more information about fostering here: www.fosteringrotherham.com/join-us. Alternatively, they are welcome to call 01709 357370 to speak to one of our advisors