Finding the Next Generation of Foster Parents

With foster families retiring from the program and more kids needing foster services, St. Louis County needed a campaign to recruit new parents. They turned to us for assistance. We dove into the research and combed through foster parent interviews. One theme emerged – many people want to foster but don’t feel like they are enough. We took this insight and got to work. 

We had a big challenge in recruiting foster parents. There are so many misconceptions around what a foster parent should look and act like. We wanted to show St. Louis County residents you didn’t have to fit into a certain box. You could be single. You could rent. You could be in your 20s or in your 60s. If you were a stable adult with a loving heart, you could be enough to foster. The “You’re Enough” campaign pinpointed the stigmas stopping potential parents and broke down mental barriers.

The largest aspect of this campaign were the Our team met with half a dozen foster parents and social workers for a day and taped interviews. During this time, we covered everything from the benefits of fostering kids to things about fostering that surprised them. Each interview concluded with the parent or parents talking about how prospective foster parents were enough. The resulting videos were informative and emotional.