Croydon Council has taken part in a ground-breaking national collaboration of 56 local authorities across the nation to support the creation of a short film to raise awareness of fostering.
It is aimed at boosting the recruitment of foster carers who are able to provide nurturing, positive homes for children and young people who need them.
The film called Childhood follows the journey of Sophie and Charlie who are in a very difficult home situation where their needs are not being met, to being nurtured and supported through foster care to attend school and be able to enjoy their hobbies and interests. In other words, have a childhood.
Currently, there are over 70,000 children living with almost 56,000 foster families in the UK, Croydon has 525 children currently in care with the need to recruit at least 30 foster carers a year to meet the growing demand. Croydon foster carers are given comprehensive training, support and a generous allowance.
Childhood premiered on 13 October at the Everyman cinema in Birmingham and will be seen across the communications channels of the collaborating local government bodies. Croydon residents can find the full video on Croydon’s fostering webpage.
“We’re very pleased to have partnered with other local authorities to create this film. The need for foster carers is constantly growing in Croydon and we are so grateful to our residents who have answered the call – you are making such a huge difference to these children and young people’s lives. I’d encourage anyone thinking about it to get in touch with the fostering team and find out if it is the right move for them.”
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon
