Have you seen our new TV ads for Foster Care? The newest ad in our three-part Be The Village advertising campaign began airing on Kayo and Foxtel on Sunday, 11 February 2024. 

With a basketball theme to appeal to the many sports lovers in the South Australian community, our Be the Village: Join the Team ad portrays the honest bumps and bruises of fostering and the joy of being the cheerleader behind children and young people’s successes.  

Filmed in the western suburbs of Adelaide and at local basketball club, the West Adelaide Bearcats, the playful and creative advertisement will be seen first by viewers on Kayo, Foxtel Go and 7Plus and likely in front of audiences tuning into AFL and NBL programming. 

You can also watch the ad on YouTube, here.

Designed to spark interest and inspire conversations about fostering, we follow the humour-filled story of a fostering couple supporting a young person to refine their skills. A playful game of one on one in the driveway between foster dad and the teenaged foster child, bounces to an invitation to practice ball skills inside which doesn’t go quite so well, before a climactic ending on the court where all of this practice sets the teen up to shoot the winning goal.  

The campaign’s theme focuses on the teamwork, support and encouragement that Foster Carers offer children and young people to help them realise their full potential. Key messaging emerging from the ad also emphasises Lutheran Care’s commitment to walking alongside Foster Carers every step of the way. 

This ad follows the fast-paced first ad, which saw a respite carer enjoy some friendly competition on a racing video game and at the go-kart track with two young people in her care. Lutheran Care’s new Foster Care: Be the Village advertising campaign began airing on Channel 7 in December. All three ads in the series represent different aspects of fostering, through the lens of diverse families at different seasons of life providing care to children and young people.   

We know there are many untold stories of fun and adventure that flow from being a Foster Carer, alongside the more challenging aspects of caring for a child or young person who may have complex needs. The joy and rewards of fostering and making a difference in a child’s life are often what Foster Carers share as among the deep motivations that keep them fostering when the road gets challenging.   

The campaign is designed to get people thinking about Foster Care and highlight the village of support around children, young people and Foster Carers, including fellow carers. 

Chief Executive Officer Rohan Feegrade says, “This Foster Carer recruitment campaign is different to any other we have seen in Australia”. 

“We hope that in showing positive everyday family moments and strong, connected and supportive care environments, we can encourage more people to make an enquiry with us into becoming a Foster Carer,” Mr Feegrade says. 

“It’s a fresh approach in this space and we are thrilled it is resonating with our carers, and also has the support of Minister Hildyard and the Department for Child Protection team.” 

Lutheran Care is committed to ongoing investment and strategies to recruit more Foster Carers that can provide stable, supportive and nurturing homes to help children feel safe and cared for while separated from their birth parents, and often siblings.  

“With the support of DCP, our campaign is one of the ways we are investing in carer recruitment, as we know that prospective carers will often think about fostering for many years before taking their next step and making a formal enquiry,” Mr Feegrade says.   

While acknowledging that the role of being a Foster Carer is multifaceted and not always fun and exciting, Lutheran Care’s new Be the Village campaign focuses on connection and everyday adventures. Playful and uplifting messaging focuses on the mutual rewards of safe relationships between young people and the caring adults in their village.  

Lutheran Care’s Head of Public Relations, Katrina Ranford says, “The team has put a lot of thought into the feel of this campaign and we have made a deliberate choice to move in an entirely new creative direction.” 

“We hope this time of year when many people are in pre-season training, preparing for finals on the court, or signing up to new footy tipping communities, that people will also ponder what it could look like for them to join a team of community minded people caring for children and young people,” Ms Ranford says. 

“And if the timing is right, our team would be delighted to hear from people who are eager to learn more.” 

The new ad can be seen across TV screens for four weeks commencing 11 February 2024, on premium sporting channels, as well as 7Plus throughout Bathurst SuperFest.  

Following the TV sprint, it will be available to view online. Stay tuned for chapter three coming soon. It’s another game-changer.  

If you would like to speak to one of our staff members about your interest in fostering, you can;

• call 08 8337 8787
• download our Information Booklet
• register to attend an upcoming information session, or
• submit an online enquiry.

Find out more about fostering and the Lutheran Care Village online here.

Be the Village.