Helping children grow and thrive.
A new national recruitment campaign to help find more foster carers has been launched by First Minister John Swinney.
The Scottish Government campaign, which was announced at John Lewis in Edinburgh to mark the start of Foster Care Fortnight, aims to support the recruitment of more Local Authority foster carers. The Fostering Network estimates that Scotland needs at least 400 additional foster carers, and this campaign seeks to raise awareness of the benefits of fostering and encourage people across the country to consider if they could support a child or young person in the care system.
John Lewis – a key campaign partner – are a foster friendly employer providing extra support to employees who are foster carers, something the Scottish Government has recently introduced to its own staff. The company also run a Care Experienced internship which supports hundreds of young people with care experience to get work experience.
The campaign will be running in May and June, with a new website and an advice line for anyone interested in finding out more.
Foster carers play a vital role supporting and providing safe and loving foster homes to children and young people. They are key to our ambition of delivering The Promise by 2030.
FIRST MINISTER
Across Scotland, foster carers provide stability, care and connection to support children and young people to thrive.
Our campaign importantly focuses on how the everyday ‘ordinary’ can be extraordinary for a child in foster care. Fostering can be transformational for a child or young person and by stepping forward, foster carers offer not just a home, but the relationships and support that help shape brighter futures.
First Minister @JohnSwinney was at @JohnLewisRetail in Edinburgh today to launch @scotgov's new fostering recruitment campaign.
— First Minister (@ScotGovFM) May 12, 2025
Both John Lewis and @fosteringnet support foster carers and care experienced young people and are backing the campaign.#FosterCareFortnight pic.twitter.com/5J0fBfwWEM
We welcome the launch of the Scottish Government’s national campaign to recruit foster carers, and we’re proud to back this initiative by providing additional support to our Fosterline service to specifically manage enquiries.
ANNE CURRIE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR SCOTLAND AT THE FOSTERING NETWORK
We hope this leads to more people stepping forward to become foster carers in Scotland, and raises awareness of the vital role fostering plays. The need has never been more urgent – as over 350 foster carers leave each year, it’s critical that we take action now.
To kick off #FCF25, FM @JohnSwinney joined foster carers in @JohnLewisRetail Edinburgh to thank them for their vital role.
— The Fostering Network (@fosteringnet) May 13, 2025
The event launched a drive in Scotland to recruit more local authority foster carers and celebrate the life-changing impact of fostering. pic.twitter.com/z3TL7rADAq
At the John Lewis Partnership, we believe that every child deserves a safe, loving home where they can grow and flourish.
CEIRA THOM, HEAD OF LEARNING, INCLUSION AND BELONGING AT THE JOHN LEWIS PARTNERSHIP
As the UK’s largest Fostering Friendly employer, we’re proud to support this vital campaign and to help raise awareness of the life-changing role foster carers play in young people’s lives.
Background
Fostering is open to people of all ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, genders, and family structures. Foster carers do not need any specific qualifications, and don’t need to have children of their own.
The ‘Ordinary can be extraordinary for a child in foster care’ campaign runs for four weeks across TV, video on demand, radio and press, and for seven weeks across digital channels.
More information on becoming a foster carer can be found at www.gov.scot/fostercare
