"Everything" - a short film about fostering
Fostering can mean everything to those involved. That is the message of this powerful fostering film from over 100 councils.
Launched on 17 October 2024, "Everything" is the seventh film produced by a growing partnership of councils and children’s trusts to promote local authority fostering. The ‘Everything’ project is the largest collaboration yet, with participants from Cumbria to Devon and Lancashire to Essex.
"Everything" follows foster carer Mike and his family on a journey through time with two of the children they have looked after, who are now adults. A surprise 60th birthday party for Mike gives Will and Zara a chance to reflect on how being fostered made a difference to their lives, thanking him for everything.
Thanks to footage shot on a genuine old camcorder, we are taken to the 1990s, to see how Will settles into the family. We also jump back to the 2010s, when a young Zara is being taught to play the guitar by Mike, something that comes full circle when she performs a song at the party. Mike’s son Chris is involved throughout, showing the important role the children of foster carers play.
The concluding message of the film is that what you do with your life could forever change someone else’s – encouraging people to foster in order to make that change.
The film was developed with the input and insight of foster carers and people with care experience, was produced by Reel TwentyFive and project managed by public sector media partner CAN/Rachel Brown.
"Everything" is the latest in a series of film collaborations that started in 2017 with "Giants", which was supported by a small number of local authorities in the Midlands and has now grown into a national project across England, reflecting the need to recruit more foster carers.
Find out more on the fostering film project: https://fosterwithyourcouncil.uk/join...