18 May 2011
A campaign to attract families in Jersey to adopt and foster children is being launched later this month.
Following on from the success of the 2010 ‘Could you Make a Difference?’ campaign, which attracted 10 families to adopt or foster children, the new campaign will be launched on 24 May to coincide with the National Fostering fortnight (16 to 29 May).
The campaign's aim is to raise awareness of fostering and adoption in Jersey by highlighting the daily lives of local fostering and adopting families through photography.
Emmy Lindsey, team manager from the fostering and adoption team said “We are hoping that this will create an Island-wide interest in fostering and adoption and encourage more people to come forward to become foster carers or adopters.
“Over the Easter holiday period, we have asked foster carers and adopters to provide us with photographs relating to their experiences of caring and being cared for. We have encouraged the whole family to take part and capture experiences that show what fostering and adoption means to them.
“The initial stage of this campaign will culminate in the launch of an exhibition of selected images at the Arts Centre on 24 May. We will then be using some of the images from the exhibition to form the basis of a promotion and recruitment drive across the Island. Kevin Brace, a local professional photographer, will be working with us throughout this campaign."
On 9 June an open evening will be held at St Paul’s Gate from 6.30pm to 9pm where interested people can meet members of the team and find out more about fostering and adoption.
Ms Lindsey added “With this recruitment campaign we want to capture what being involved in fostering and adoption means from all perspectives and give an insight of what is involved and encourage people with an interest to contact the team.”
The exhibition will feature at the Gwyneth Huelin Wing in the General Hospital, the Jersey Library, Bean Around the World, Waterstone's bookshop, the Town Hall, Jersey Airport, Cineworld and the Harbour Gallery, St Aubin as well as the Jersey Arts Centre over the coming weeks.
gov.je