By now, I’m sure you’ve seen all the big Christmas adverts flood your TV. From Buddy the Elf to Kevin the Carrot, the festive period has brought a range of fascinating content into our homes.
However, there was a particular advert this year that certainly caught our attention, and at the risk of being biased, was certainly the best one in our eyes.
John Lewis used their iconic advert this year to focus on the importance of fostering and being a part of a family. Here at Changing Futures Fostering, we were pleasantly surprised that such a household name made fostering a focus, as often it gets overlooked or misunderstood, but also grateful for John Lewis for bringing awareness to a new range of people. If you haven’t seen it yet, we highly recommend you check it out here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z0jfP2gCIs
According to the Office of National Statistics, there has been a downward trend in the number of applications for mainstream fostering over the last 5 years. The Fostering Network have also identified a need for at least 8,100 new foster families in England this year. These trends are concerning, but we are optimistic that the John Lewis advert can help change the perspectives and inspire an upward turn.

The ad shows a man learning to skateboard in preparation for welcoming a new person to the family
From our perspective, the advert helps us communicate and deliver our message in ways that we may have not been able to without John Lewis. People are often unaware of the financial, practical, and emotional support we offer, and that it’s just not a case of being left on your own once placement has begun. We offer a range of £418-461 per week per child placed in financial support, as well as holiday and birthday payments. We deliver specialised training to ensure that you are prepared for any bumps in the road during your fostering journey. We arrange local and consistent support groups based in Hartlepool so you can feel connected to our agency in ay way that fits you.
Ultimately, our focus as a non-for-profit fostering agency will always be on what’s doing the best for children and helping create a loving and supportive family environment. Whilst getting our message out is no easy task, we applaud John Lewis for using such an anticipated form of media to spread the word of the importance of fostering.
Interested in fostering? Want to see what Changing Futures Fostering can offer? Give our friendly fostering team a call at 01429 363 127, head over to our Facebook page at Changing Futures Fostering or drop our team an email admin@changingfuturesfostering.co.uk.