Due to a shortage of local carers, one in five children entering foster care are placed with families over 20 miles away from their home. And the South West was no exception. Though fostering was considered something positive, most people thought they weren’t equipped to do it, or they held misconceptions about who is able to foster. Fostering South West wanted to increase enquiries to foster in the region by tackling these misconceptions, raising awareness, and reaching audiences who are traditionally less likely to foster.

Working with Penna, the organisation researched its potential audiences, including empty nesters, professional carers, people who may have had connections to the care system, and those who’ve experienced marginalisation so are driven to care for others. The campaign needed to be targeted, create deeply personal and emotional connections, and nurture interest through re-targeting and storytelling. This came together under a central brand line: Open your home. Change a life.

The campaign included a targeted social media campaign, while regional audiences were reached through out-of-home advertising on buses and an emotive radio ad. They created a moving film campaign to address the misconception that families lacked the ability to care for a foster child. Real foster carers’ stories were used to immerse viewers, and snippets were shared on TikTok to reach a younger audience that may think they’re not able to foster.

Spanning five months, the campaign led to a 150% increase in actionable enquiries, doubling the number from people in under-represented groups. The average age of enquirers dropped by 10 years, and the social campaign generated thousands of clicks and visits to Fostering South West’s website.