Plea for people to 'be the difference and foster the future'

Manx Care welcomes John Lewis' Christmas campaign

People on the Isle of Man are being urged to consider whether they can ‘be the difference and foster the future’.

Efforts are underway to recruit more foster carers to help look after the Island’s most vulnerable children and young people.

Retail giant John Lewis has put fostering in the spotlight with a new Christmas advert campaign which shines a light on the number of youngsters in the care system in the UK.

On the company’s official YouTube channel it’s been watched more than three million times.

It’s the things we do that mean the most. 🛹 #TheBeginner pic.twitter.com/pdtwAcaBDu

— John Lewis & Partners (@JohnLewisRetail) November 10, 2022

The thought-provoking commercial carries the strapline: “It’s the things we do that mean the most” - and that message is something that Manx Care is wholeheartedly supporting.

There are only 29 fostering families across the Island, and seven family and friend carers, offering short and long-term placements.

And more are needed.

The Family Placement Service is preparing to launch a new recruitment drive for potential foster carers and is asking people to consider whether they can ‘be the difference and foster the future’.

Julie Gibney is the assistant director of Children and Families social work – she’s described the John Lewis advert as ‘wonderful’ and is hopeful it will inspire others here to consider fostering:

Anyone who wants to find out more about fostering can contact the Family Placement Service on 610000 or email familyplacementservice@gov.im.