Centacare breaks down perceived foster care barriers in new campaign via SAUCE.

With the increasing need for foster carers in South Australia, Centacare has today launched a campaign created by SAUCE. The Creative Agency to help overcome perceived barriers by those considering becoming a foster carer.

 

Today, there are almost 5000 children in care who need a stable home environment. Many would have experienced some form of trauma previously too.

Foster care can be a positive and transformative experience for children, providing an environment where they can feel safe and supported to learn, grow, and shape who they are in the future.

Unfortunately, many who are interested in becoming foster carers rule themselves out because they don’t think they fit the criteria based around their personal circumstances.

Says Alicia Remedios, Assessment Manager for Centacare Foster Care: “While there is an assessment process, many potential foster carers mistakenly believe that factors like their age, sexual orientation, relationship status, or whether they rent their home, will automatically disqualify them. This simply isn’t true. What matters most is their ability to provide a safe, stable, and nurturing environment where a child can grow and thrive.”

Says David Ormston, Co-Creative Director, SAUCE. The Creative Agency.: “With so many children needing care, we wanted to break through the uncertainties and encourage more people to consider the role of foster caring to help vulnerable children.”

Says Tom Ootes, Managing Director and Agency Principal, SAUCE.: “Almost all new parents question their own ability to provide quality care. We wanted to show that for foster carers, this uncertainty comes with additional questions – will they like me? Will they think I’m trying to replace their biological parents?”

Says Michael Gagliardi, Co-Creative Director, SAUCE.: “The child is the most important person in the foster care process. Showing that the uncertainty felt by the carer is also experienced by the child, was an important part of the story.”

The campaign is supported by a second film created to address the need for Reunification Foster Carers. Reunification Foster Carers support children until their biological family is in a position to be reunited with them but often remain involved in their lives thereafter .

Says Ormston: “We thought that the seamless transition from carer to parent via a playground swing was a simple and heartwarming way to demonstrate reunification.”

Says Amalie Mannik, Executive Manager for Centacare’s Children Services Unit: “We have really valued working in partnership with SAUCE and are delighted with the campaign, especially with the videos. We feel that the videos reflect authenticity and will resonate with community, striking a balance of the realities of foster care and the important role foster carers play.”

The Centacare campaign rolls out in South Australia across social, digital, BVOD and cinema.

Client: Centacare
Marketing and Communications Officer – Danielle Lentini
Assessment Manager – Alicia Remedios
Recruitment Officer – Claire Davies
Executive Manager Children Services – Amalie Mannik

Creative: SAUCE. The Creative Agency
Managing Director and Principal – Tom Ootes
Creative Director – Michael Gagliardi
Creative Director – David Ormston
Account Director – Hafsa Qureshi

Production:
Producer – Emily Dawe
Director/DOP – Nick Frayne
1AC – Jake Cooper
Gaffer – Nic Datson
Editor – Jarrod Knoblauch
Sound Design – Scott Illingworth (Seeing Sounds)
Photography – Neasan McGuinness