Little Acorns came to us with a challenge the whole sector recognises. There aren't enough foster carers, and the people who would make brilliant ones have quietly ruled themselves out. When the team got in touch, they had an idea for a simple conversational piece. But we saw more potential. 

The answer to a carer deficit wasn't a polished recruitment ad or the standard “couple on a sofa” that’s seen so often. It was two real people interviewed about their lived experience – an open, honest conversation built into a campaign that would drive real impact.

The Difference Is You

We called the campaign “The Difference Is You” because it captures the entire essence in one line. At its heart is a film featuring Team GB Paralympian Bebe Jackson and her foster carer, Mick Davis, who began fostering in his 50s. No corporate veil. No script read. Just fostering as it's actually lived – ordinary, stable, and quietly life-changing.

For every rare story that makes the news, there are hundreds you never hear, where a child is safe, settled, and doing well. The campaign is about those stories, and about the people who make them happen.

Suffolk News has covered it, carrying the message to readers right across the region – the exact people Little Acorns needs to reach in Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and Essex.

Timing matters

Fostering is high on the national agenda. In February 2026 the government committed £88 million to create 10,000 more foster placements in England by 2029. It’s a a commitment to solving a real challenge, with the number of approved foster carers in England falling from 63,890 in 2021 to 56,345 in early 2025.

When a local family can't be found, a child is often moved miles from their school, their friends, and everything familiar. This campaign exists to change that, one carer at a time.

Why this is the work we want to make

We make interview-led films because trust is the only currency that matters, particularly in a world so dominated by AI and artifice. And nothing builds trust like a real person telling their own story. Little Acorns didn't need us to sell fostering. They needed us to show it. They need to recruit.

A recruitment drive can list the facts. A film can change how someone feels about their own life, and whether they pick up the phone.

If this story resonates with you, visit Little Acorns to see what it takes to become a foster carer.

And if you need to get your message heard, talk to us about your next campaign.