Every 22 minutes a child comes into care and needs a foster family.

This was the Fostering Network's lead message across traditional and social media activity for Foster Care Fortnight 2012 (14-27 May). It highlights the urgent need for foster carers right across the country – the charity estimates that at least 8,750 new foster families are needed in 2012 alone.

Foster Care Fortnight is the Fostering Network’s annual campaign to raise the profile of fostering and is the UK's biggest foster carer recruitment campaign. This year’s campaign combined traditional and social media to reach a much wider audience than ever before. The campaign also attracted huge celebrity support, with Gareth Gates, Lorraine Pascale, Samantha Morton, Fern Britton, Gabby Logan, Jacqueline Wilson and Tim Rhys-Evans all coming out to support the campaign.

In the build-up to Foster Care Fortnight and the 22 Minutes campaign, Waterloo Quarter member Spectrecom,  gave their services for free to produce the online video content. This was one of the pledges they gave as part of the ‘Our Waterloo’ Team Challenge 2011 in which three teams competed to collect the most pledges for their charity partner.

Jackie Sanders, head of media and campaigns at the Fostering Network, said: “I would like to thank Spectrecom for providing their services to us and supporting the Fostering Network throughout the production of the campaign. Their skill, commitment and generosity are an example of how well private business and charities can work together.”

You can view the 22 inspiration films about fostering at www.22minutes.org.uk, which also contains  blogs from foster carers. 

If you are interested in becoming a foster carer and would like more information or have any questions, please visit www.couldyoufoster.org.uk