How to partner with Berry Street to raise awareness of foster care

As of June 2023, the number of foster care enquiries across Victoria reached its lowest point in the last 20 years. This means that fewer people are stepping forward to become foster carers, and as a result, countless Victorian children are without a safe and supportive home.

Foster care statistics show a worrying trend

Foster care is the temporary care of a child or young person within a safe and nurturing home environment when they are unable to live safely at home.

Did you know...

• One in 32 Australian children need Child Protection services.
• More than a quarter of Victorian children in care are under five years old – that’s over 2,000 children.
• The number of children in care in Victoria has increased by 21% in the last four years.
• Each year, more than 11,000 Victorian children cannot live safely at home.

These shocking statistics show why we urgently need more Victorian foster carers who can provide care and support to children and young people in need.

We need as many people as possible to help spread the word about foster care. That’s where you can help!

Three easy ways local businesses can partner with us to recruit more foster carers

Berry Street has foster care programs across the state, including throughout Gippsland, North-West Metro, the Southeast, Central Highlands, and Hume regions.

We’re looking to work with local businesses and community groups in these regions to help share our foster care campaign. There are three ways local businesses can partner with us and play a crucial role in helping to raise awareness of the need for foster carers in their community.

1. Share our foster care message on social media

Help us raise awareness of the need for more foster carers by sharing our ‘Become a foster carer’ tile on your social media channels.

Don’t forget to tag us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and use our hashtags #BerryStreetFosterCare and #DaretoCare so we can share your post to our Berry Street channels.

Download a ‘Become a foster carer’ social media tile:

• Instagram feed (1080x1080px)
• Facebook feed (1080x1350px)
• Facebook and Instagram Stories (1080x1920px)
• LinkedIn feed (1200x627px)

2. Help build awareness of the need for more foster carers in your communities

Getting the word out across our local communities is critical in building awareness about foster care.

We have lots of great foster care resources and stories you can share to connect with your customers and drive action in your local community.

Are you a local business or community group that can promote foster care on your blog, newsletter, website, intranet page or in an all-staff email?

Do you have a noticeboard, billboard or street-facing window where you can display our poster? Or do you have space at your front counter for a pamphlet display or removable sticker?

Do you run a café or restaurant and are happy to place our foster care sticker on your coffee cups or takeaway food containers?

The options are endless – and we’re happy to brainstorm more ideas with you to find something that works for you and your customers.

3. Invite the Berry Street foster care team to come and chat with your staff

We’d welcome the opportunity to meet with your staff and stakeholders to share why Berry Street foster carers are so important for local children and young people in our community. We may even be able to organise for a local Berry Street foster carer to come and talk to you.

You may like to invite us to present at:

• A morning tea for a special event
• A staff event or team-building day
• Your next team meeting – put ‘foster care’ on the agenda
  

Partner with Berry Street to support local children and young people in need

We’d love the opportunity to speak with local businesses and community groups about the incredible impact foster carers have on the lives of children and young people and the urgent need for more carers in our communities.

We know every business and community group is unique, and we’re happy to work with you to explore all the ways we can connect with your staff and customers and reach your local community to increase awareness of foster care.

To learn more about partnering with Berry Street to support local children in need of a safe home, email fostercare@berrystreet.org.au or phone 1800 816 037.