A Birmingham-based artist has teamed up with children in foster care to create a powerful piece of art, highlighting the urgent national need for more foster families. The initiative is part of the Barnardo's 'Drawn to Care' campaign, launched to tackle a looming crisis in the UK's fostering system.
The 20-Minute Creative Mission
The 'Drawn to Care' challenge brought together artists, including local creative Tat Vision and renowned Yorkshire artist Eleanor Tomlinson, with children supported by Barnardo's. The brief was simple yet profound: create an artwork on the theme 'what home means to me' in just twenty minutes.
This time limit is deeply symbolic. A child comes into care every 20 minutes in the UK, a stark statistic that underscores the campaign's urgency. With the number of foster carers declining nationally, Barnardo's warns that a fostering crisis could disrupt the lives of the most vulnerable children.
For her contribution, Tat Vision crafted a unique piece titled 'A place to slug out'. She used clay and paint to transform a 'found object' purchased from a Barnardo's charity shop, giving new life and meaning to a discarded item—a metaphor central to the fostering journey.
What Home Means Through a Child's Eyes
The children's artwork revealed the beautifully simple foundations of a loving home. Five-year-old Ava drew her foster parents' cat and dog. Matthew, aged 12, included his favourite toys, climbing ropes, food, and his comfy bed. For another pre-teen, a hearty plate of spaghetti bolognese was the main feature of their drawing.
Brenda Farrell, Barnardo’s Director of Fostering, Adoption, and Children in Care, said: "Fostering is one of the most incredible things you can do. It is rewarding, life-affirming and vital work that dramatically improves children's lives."
She emphasised the critical shortage, urging potential foster carers not to rule themselves out. "The fact that a child comes into care every 20 minutes shows the urgency. We need more people to become foster carers to give children hope for the future. If you've ever considered it, now is the time."
A Lifeline for Young People
The campaign powerfully illustrates the transformative impact of a stable home. Ewan, a young person fostered through Barnardo's, told his foster parents Lesley and Michael: "The fact you never gave up on me has meant everything."
Barnardo's, which has over a century of fostering experience, is calling on people across the UK to consider opening their homes. The charity invites anyone interested to contact them for a no-pressure conversation to learn more about the process and the life-changing difference they could make.
The full collection of artwork from the Drawn to Care challenge can be viewed online, alongside more information about fostering with Barnardo's.
