TACT launches thought provoking film

Author: TACT Communications

If you saw a child standing alone in the street would you notice?  Would you stop and check that the child was OK?  To mark The Fostering Network’s Foster Care Fortnight, TACT – UK’s largest fostering charity, has launched a thought provoking film to highlight the need for more foster carers.

The film shows two children taking it in turn to stand alone for 20 minutes in a very busy high street thus reflecting the sad statistic that every 20 minutes across the UK a child comes into care in need of a foster family.  Remarkably, during the filming of the video, not one person stopped to check on the children standing in the street.

TACT CEO Andy Elvin said: “While it is obviously disappointing that people failed to take notice of the children, let alone stop to check on their welfare, it is also sadly unsurprising.  During Foster Care Fortnight 1008 children and young people will have come into care, and we need more foster carers to meet their needs.”

TACT is particularly keen to promote the need for foster carers for older children, as the majority of children and young people the charity looks after in foster care are aged 11-18.

Andy Elvin said: “There is the misconception that young people come into care through some fault of their own.  That could not be further from the truth. The reasons vary widely, from parental illness to domestic violence or neglect.”

Some teenagers in care might have witnessed or experienced physical or emotional abuse or drug or alcohol abuse, which can cause them to feel angry and isolated.  TACT offers high quality training and support to foster carers. This gives foster carers the skills and resilience to work through difficult times with the young people. This helps to maintain long-lasting and mutually rewarding relationships that can turn a young person’s life around for the better.

Andy added: “TACT has many wonderful young people who have gone on to achieve fantastic things. They go to University, undertake apprenticeships and even become foster carers themselves.  Good foster care enables children to go on to lead successful & happy adult lives.”

Could you offer a home to one of these young people? Could you be the person who makes the difference to young people? Will you be the one who stops and helps?

Transform a child’s life, transform your life: Foster

If you are interested in finding out more about fostering then please telephone:  0330 123 2250 or go to: tactcare.org.uk.

For media enquiries please contact Laura Luxton, TACT Communications, by telephone: 0208 695 8133 or 07977 411831 (out of hours) or email: [email protected]

Notes to editors

TACT (The Adolescent and Children’s Trust) is the UK’s largest fostering and adoption charity and voluntary agency. Established for 24 years, we currently have over 500 foster carers providing loving homes for over 600 children and young people.

As a charity everything we do is for the benefit of children in care and on the fringes of care. We are beyond profit, which means that all surplus income is invested back into our services to ensure our carers and the children in our care receive the best possible support. We also regularly campaign on behalf of vulnerable children, seeking to influence public policy and argue for positive changes.

The Fostering Network’s Foster Care Fortnight runs from 19 May to 29 May 2016.