Why it's time to rethink foster carer recruitment

We need to stop telling the same tired stories.

Traditional fostering campaigns featuring heartwarming images of smiling families, with slogans like “change a life” and “be the difference” simply aren’t that effective anymore. They rely too heavily on the assumption that there are sufficient people ready and willing to foster – and all these people need is a nudge in the right direction to start their fostering journey. The reality is these campaigns only speak to those who are already highly motivated to foster – they’re preaching to the converted.

And even then, the constant sense of crisis - ‘we need your help NOW’ - puts people off applying to become a foster carer altogether.

But what about the people who are unsure about taking the leap? Or those who don’t see fostering as a viable or realistic option yet? Or even people who have never considered fostering at all? These are the people we need to reach if we are going to attract the foster carers of the future and provide the best possible care for our children and young people.

This brings us to the crux of the issue. We’re not just facing a recruitment challenge; we’re facing a challenge around perception. Fostering has a bad rep, and we need to change that so more people are open to receiving and responding to your campaigns.

To tackle this growing crisis head-on, we need a bold, fresh approach to foster carer recruitment marketing – one that not only raises awareness but redefines fostering for today’s society. Gone are the days when fostering was seen as something only a ‘traditional’ family might do. Today, fostering is for anyone with a big heart and strong sense of purpose.

The eligibility to become a foster carer doesn’t end at simply having a spare room in your home. It’s a role that requires a blend of patience, empathy and resilience as you provide a stable and loving home for young people who’ve faced a challenging start in life. It’s about being adaptable and open-minded, understanding that every child in care is going to have a unique background and needs.

Your messaging has to reach beyond the traditional stereotypes and speak to the people who might not see themselves as ‘typical’ foster carers.

So, how do we do this?

If we want to encourage more people to consider fostering, we have to be open and honest about what’s involved – without any sugar coating. People want the truth about the emotional demands, the impact on their everyday life and the resilience required. Potential foster carers need to see that while fostering requires commitment, it’s not about being perfect. It’s about showing up, being patient and supporting young people through a challenging time in their lives.

By providing balanced information about the challenges, rewards and support available, we can help people see that fostering is not only worthwhile – it is doable. This means addressing common concerns upfront, such as finances, balancing work commitments and how fostering can fit around different lifestyles.

With this approach, fostering becomes not only a viable option but a powerful choice that ordinary people can make to create an extraordinary difference. Let’s be open, transparent and grounded in how we talk about fostering so that more people feel ready to take the first step.

People connect with stories, not statistics. Telling the real, unfiltered stories of foster carers from all walks of life – from single professionals to empty nesters, to same sex couples – is a powerful way of building emotional connections with your audience, sharing the real stuff they need to hear to make an informed choice about something truly life-changing.

By sharing these real, lived experiences from foster carers, we can go beyond generic campaigns to create authentic experiences that truly resonate. We’re giving potential foster carers a direct line to the people who’ve been through it – the highs, the lows and everything in between. It’s about not just informing people but inviting them into a community where they can learn, ask questions and feel a sense of belonging before they even begin to take the journey for themselves.

The digital space is great for sharing these stories and building connections that feel real, relatable and inspiring. Content like TikToks or Instagram Reels capturing the day-to-day lives of foster carers, or even live-streamed Q&A sessions with existing foster carers, can be very powerful for showing both the rewards and realities in a way that feels truly authentic.

The scale of the challenge for foster carer recruitment cannot be understated. However, this desperate need to get people through the door can often lead to short-term recruitment efforts that don’t pay off in the long-term. Without laying the foundations for building awareness beforehand, you risk fishing in the same depleting pool of people already actively considering becoming carers.

We know that becoming a foster carer is NOT a decision taken lightly; it takes time – months, sometimes years. That’s why nurturing a relationship with potential carers – long before they’re ready to take the plunge – is essential to building a good pipeline of future foster carers and meeting the needs of cared for children and young people in your area.

In my opinion, a national awareness campaign, similar to that of the Department for Education’s ‘Every Lesson Shapes a Life’ campaign, would go a long way towards getting fostering on more people’s agendas. Local and/or regional campaigns can then focus on capitalising on this heightened awareness – by nurturing potential carers.

The fostering sector is at a crossroads. There are some fundamental challenges in the systems and processes in place to support carers, and we cannot solve these problems with marketing alone. But we can challenge convention and choose to innovate, think creatively and tackle the challenges head-on with fresh ideas and bold action.

We have an opportunity to reimagine what foster carer recruitment marketing looks like in the UK. It’s time to step out of our comfort zones and embrace new approaches that speak to a broader audience. The stakes couldn’t be higher—this is about the futures of thousands of children across the country.

If we want to ensure that every child in care has a safe, loving home to go to, we need to change the way we talk about fostering. We need to build a community of carers who are supported, valued and empowered to make a difference.

The numbers don’t lie—the need is greater than ever. But with the right approach, we can help meet this challenge head-on and create a future where no child is left waiting for the care they deserve.

If you’d like our support with recruiting or retaining foster carers, please do get in touch. In the meantime, check out some of the great foster carer recruitment campaigns we’ve delivered here.

If you found this article interesting, check out our blog on respite care’s pivotal role in foster carer recruitment.