Open your heart – NSW Recruitment Campaign for Foster Carers

The Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies, (ACWA), is gearing up to launch a
statewide recruitment campaign on May 30 to encourage more people to open their
hearts and become foster carers.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of foster care and will run for a year. There is
a host of media and publicity activity in the pipeline, so watch out for news, online
advertising and great stories about the valuable work you do.

There is also a lot that you can do to support it. ACWA needs foster carers to
encourage others to become a carer and to share their stories with the public and
media.

Whether its simply being aware of what’s happening in your area and sharing the
information about events on your own Facebook page and Twitter profile, or being
willing to act as an ambassador, every little bit helps.

As part of the campaign a Foster Forum is being launched on the Fostering NSW
website, giving carers a platform to talk to other potential volunteers and become a
part of the virtual campaign.

Liz Potten, Foster Care Recruitment Project Officer for ACWA, will be moderating the
forum and driving the social media elements of the campaign.

As an existing foster carer she not only has first hand experience of the role but
bundles of knowledge about how social media can support such a campaign, making
her an invaluable asset to the ACWA team.

She said: “Being a foster carer is a role which can be very challenging, but is
ultimately incredibly rewarding. I feel very passionate about fostering and the positive
impact it can have on the life of a child or young person.

“I’m proud to be a part of the recruitment campaign and am keen to share my
experiences to encourage others to think about becoming a foster carer. You can do
the same.

“Don’t worry if you don’t know much about Facebook or Twitter, you can spread the
word by simply having a chat with a neighbour or other parents at the school gates.
Simply by raising awareness of fostering we can encourage more potential carers to
come forward.”

If you are interested in becoming an ambassador for the campaign and sharing your
story with the media, please contact Foundations Care.

Find out more about the campaign and keep up to date with the latest news at
www.fosteringnsw.com.au You can also follow us on Twitter @FosteringNSW and on
our Fostering NSW Facebook page.