14 October 2016
Fostering and Adoption Jersey are inviting would-be fostering and adoptive parents to 'start their adoption story' this month.
From Monday 17 October, a week-long campaign will be held in Jersey to coincide with the UK-wide National Adoption Week which aims to highlight the opportunities of adopting or fostering.
As part of the campaign, the team will be setting up a pop up shop at Les Quennevais precinct on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 October from 10am to 4pm, providing an open and convenient location for Islanders to pop along for an informal chat or ask questions.
Emmy Lindsey, Manager for Fostering and Adoption Jersey says “Providing children with high quality foster carers and adopters is at the heart of what we do. Our work as a fostering and adoption service means that we help prospective foster carers and adopters through every stage.”
The theme for this year’s campaign is 'Start your adoption story today' and showcases snippets of everyday family life whilst quoting anecdotes from the parents.
Bold adverts for campaign
Bold adverts will be used to draw attention to the campaign, letting people know what they could give to a child by becoming an adoptive or foster parent. Captions include 'someone to teach your moves to', showing a dad dancing, next to an amused toddler, to 'party hard suddenly has new meaning' showing a children’s birthday party.
Ms Lindsey added “It’s a colourful and creative approach and aims to connect with individuals that hope to experience the ups and downs of family life for themselves.
“This year we have been able to approve two new foster carers and five new adopters. We are currently working with another six foster carers and 10 adopters who we are hoping to approve in the near future. But we need more carers, especially those who are able to consider providing a home for older children or siblings.”
As in previous years, the campaign hopes to find families for the most vulnerable local children whilst providing an opportunity to encompass all aspects of adoption, to clarify the adoption process, reflect the challenges of adoptive parenting and share individual stories.
This year’s campaign will also be launching a new incentive. The campaign hopes to raise public engagement by inviting anyone that is involved in adoption or fostering or whose life and heart is touched by adoption to share their stories to the hashtag #adoptionstoriesjersey from their Twitter account.
Prospective adopters or foster parents do not have to be married, or in a relationship, or in a heterosexual relationship.
gov.je