Some gifts can’t be wrapped. The greatest gift you can give is a home.
Every Christmas, we spend hours finding the perfect presents — the ones that will make someone’s face light up. But the truth is, the most meaningful gifts don’t come in boxes or ribbons.
They’re the gifts that last a lifetime: love, belonging, stability, hope, confidence, trust, and time.
For children and young people in care across the South West, those gifts mean everything — and they’re the reason we’re asking people like you to consider giving the greatest gift of all: a loving home.
This Christmas, give something that lasts
Christmas is a time for warmth, connection and family. But for some children, it can also be a time that reminds them of what’s missing — stability, routine, and the feeling of belonging.
When you become a foster carer, you give a child more than a roof over their head. You give them a chance to feel safe, supported and part of something. You give them space to grow and to trust again.
The greatest gifts don’t come wrapped — they’re shared, every day, through love and care.
Across the South West, hundreds of children need foster carers who can offer them the chance to experience that feeling of home — not just for Christmas, but for life.
Real gifts, given every day
Fostering isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about ordinary people doing something extraordinary — offering the kind of support that helps a child feel seen, valued and loved.
Here are just some of the gifts that foster carers give every day:
- Love: The steady, everyday kind that makes a child feel safe.
- Belonging: A place at the table, a name on the stocking, a family to come home to.
- Hope: Showing a young person that tomorrow can be brighter than yesterday.
- Confidence: Believing in them until they can believe in themselves.
- Time: Being there for the small moments that matter most.
These gifts don’t come wrapped — but they can change a child’s life forever.
Why fostering matters
Right now, there’s a growing need for foster carers across the South West. Every child deserves a safe, loving home, but there aren’t enough carers to provide that stability.
By opening your home, you’re giving a child the opportunity to grow up feeling loved, secure and hopeful about the future.
Fostering isn’t always easy — but it’s always worth it – for everyone involves
Love, belonging, stability, hope, confidence, trust, joy.
The greatest gifts of all — and maybe, you.
How to take the first step
This Christmas, while the world wraps gifts and ties bows, we’re asking you to think about a different kind of giving.
Could you give a child the gift of home?
Here’s how to start:
- Visit fosteringsouthwest.gov.uk
- Learn about fostering in your area and the different types of care available.
- Get in touch with your local fostering team for more information or an informal chat.
- Start your journey — we’ll support you every step of the way.
You might not think of yourself as a hero, but for a child who needs you, you could be the greatest gift they’ll ever receive.
Interested in becoming a foster carer?
We’d love to hear from you! Get in touch with our experienced, friendly team for a chat about foster care…