We’re Celebrating Fostering Fortnight 2023 With A Refer A Friend Backpack Giveaway

Do you know someone who would make an amazing foster carer? Refer them to Origins Foster Care and you could receive a beautiful Madlug backpack! For each backpack given away by Origins, MadLug will donate a pack-away travel bag to a child in care.

To celebrate Ireland's Fostering Fortnight, Origins Foster Care is giving away MadLug backpacks to foster carers who refer a friend or family member to become a foster carer. This special promotion is our way of celebrating the incredible work that foster carers do every day, and of encouraging more people to get involved in fostering.

Each year the national Fostering Fortnight shines a light on fostering and raises awareness around the vital importance of encouraging would-be foster carers to start the application process.

What is Fostering Fortnight?

Ireland's Fostering Fortnight is a national event that celebrates and raises awareness of fostering in Ireland. This year, the event takes place from March 3rd to March 17th (St Patrick’s Day) and during Fostering Fortnight, various organisations and agencies come together to share information about fostering and the benefits it can bring to both children and foster families.

At Origins Foster Care, we are proud to support Fostering Fortnight and to celebrate the amazing work of foster carers across Ireland. We believe that fostering is one of the most rewarding things you can do, and we want to encourage more people to get involved, which is why we’ve decided to run a Refer a Friend Backpack Giveaway.

What is being given away?

Origins Foster Care is giving away one MadLug backpack to each of our foster carers who refers a friend. We chose to give away MadLug backpacks because for each purchase of a backpack, MadLug will donate a pack-away travel bag to a child in care to help them store and transport their personal belongings.

Who can enter?

Foster carers currently with Origins Foster Care are eligible to enter the competition and they can refer as many friends or family members as they like.

Those being referred can be a new foster carer or an existing carer who might be interested in transferring to Origins Foster Care.

What is counted as a valid referral?

In order for the referral to be considered valid, the potential foster carer needs to fill out the contact form on our website, mentioning the existing foster carer who referred them in the message section.

In addition to that, the friend or family member being referred must also attend one of our next two fostering information sessions, either on the Tuesday 14th of March at 7pm or Wednesday 26th of April at 7pm.

When will the backpacks be available?

The backpacks will be available to valid referees (existing foster carers with Origins Foster Care) following the 26th of April info session, when Origins can verify the attendance of any friends or family members who have been referred.

How to Enter

• Existing foster carers can refer a friend or family member to Origins Foster Care by filling out our referral form and sharing the contact details of the person/people they are referring.
• Alternatively, carers can enter by asking their friend or family member to complete an application form to become a foster carer on our website, which can be accessed by clicking the ‘Apply today’ button.
• Referred persons must complete the Become a Foster Carer application form and mention the name of the referring foster carer in the 'Message' section.
• Referred persons must attend one of our two upcoming Information Sessions with Origins Foster Care before 27th of April 2023 in order for the referring foster carer to receive their backpack.