The Department for Education (DfE) is launching its first fully co-ordinated fostering recruitment campaign in October 2026, aimed at encouraging more people to consider fostering.

The heart of the campaign is not only the dispelling of myths and misconceptions around who can foster, but also about reframing fostering as an extension of who people already are, rather than asking them to become a different kind of person. Therefore, the campaign will highlight more of the everyday differences that people can make to children’s lives, over and above any perceived complex expectations or specialist skillsets that may feel out of reach.

The campaign has arrived at a time of decreased numbers of approved foster carers in the UK. According to the DfE, the number of foster carers has fallen by 12% since 2019, with research showing that misconceptions is a driving factor in people ruling themselves out before even exploring fostering.

TACT are passionate about dispelling fostering myths and misconceptions; the charity ran a campaign in September of 2025 called ‘Ordinary People Making an Extraordinary Difference’, which highlighted the everyday smaller gestures of care that can make a positive impact on young people. Another key message of the campaign was that fostering should be an option for people across all walks of life, and not just those with care-aligned vocational backgrounds.

TACT are proud to be supporting the upcoming co-ordinated fostering recruitment campaign, and look forward to engaging with each step as they are revealed by the Department for Education.

Read more about fostering myth busting on our Fostering Questions and Answers page.