The Christmas season has officially begun; the John Lewis Christmas ad is here. And we love it.

It’s pretty remarkable that each year this chain of department stores manages to win the nation’s hearts with what is, let’s be honest, less of an advert and more of a work of art. I, along with the rest of the UK (or at least the rest of my Twitter feed) find myself annually anticipating the release of a short video that we believe will move us, warm us, inspire us and fill us with festive joy.

John Lewis’ Christmas marketing doesn’t just sell us a product; every year, they tell us a story. And here at Home for Good, we’ve found that more often than not, the stories they tell us connect to the things we care most about: family, belonging, community, love.

In 2012 we followed a snowman on a journey, seeing on our screens the efforts that some will go to for those they love. In 2015, we met a man on the moon and a little girl on earth who wanted him to know she saw him, and that he wasn’t alone. 2020’s ‘Give a little love’ tapped into our belief that everyone has a part they can play to show love and care to others in their community. And of course, we can’t forget the Home for Good favourite – you can read about our beloved Excitable Edgar here.

This year’s ad is different. It doesn’t just dance around themes that feed our vision at Home for Good; it absolutely hits the nail on the head.

If you haven’t yet seen the advert, take 90 seconds to watch it here:

The film introduces us to two foster carers who are preparing to welcome a young girl into their home. John Lewis worked closely with their two charity partners, Action for Children and Who Cares? Scotland to create the ad, and they highlight towards the end of it the commitment they’ve made as a business to support children and young people with care experience through their Happier Futures partnership.

We are delighted that John Lewis have taken this opportunity to share the stories and experiences of children in care and of foster carers with such a huge and engaged audience. We’re so pleased to see the steps they’re taking to support young people leaving care into employment and raise awareness of injustice and inequality. And in short, we really love the story they’ve told us through this Christmas advert. Here are a few reasons why we love it so much.

1. We’re introduced to an older child

Often when children in care are spoken about, minds jump quickly to babies, toddlers and young children. Yet over the last decade, we’ve seen an increase in the number of children aged between 10 and 17 entering care; this age group now make up the majority of children in care[1]. We also know that older children are more likely to experience multiple moves within a year than younger children in care[2].

Every child and young person matters. Every child and young person has worth and value. Every child and young person deserves to live and grow in a stable environment, where they’ll be loved, cared for and supported. We love that John Lewis has taken this opportunity to give representation to and to raise awareness of the experiences of older children in care.

2. Ellie is seen, known and celebrated

Every child and young person is unique. They’ll carry different stories, different likes, talent, interests and ideas. We love that in this film, the girl’s interests are communicated, understood and celebrated; the foster family go to great lengths to find ways to affirm this part of her identity, and to share the things that bring her happiness. Seemingly small steps can go such a long way in enabling children and teenagers to feel supported to explore and be who they are. As a side note, I love that we see the man begin to enjoy and take pride in his new hobby – when we’re open to exploring new things, we can find new sources of joy and fun for ourselves!

We love that near the start of the advert, we hear the woman on the phone - "We're really excited." Ellie is wanted; her carers are excited to meet her. We love that towards the end of the advert, she is greeted at the door by someone who knows her name - “Hey, Ellie.” Ellie’s not a number or a statistic; John Lewis make it very clear that she’s her own person.

3. We focus on the experiences of a male foster carer

We know so many fantastic male foster carers, adoptive parents and supported lodgings hosts within our Home for Good network. Yet while society has come a long way in extinguishing myths and misconceptions that caring for children and young people is a more feminine or maternal role, we still find that stories of male carers are few and far between. We love that this ad shares the experiences of a male carer as he prepares to welcome a child into his family, and we hope that this story will inspire and empower more men to consider what part they could play.

4. We see the preparations – and the sacrifice

The advert gives us an insight into the preparations that go before welcoming a child or young person into your home. While we see the male character commit to working on his skateboarding skills, we see the woman in the story take phone calls, complete paperwork, wrap gifts. We don’t know for sure that these tasks are related to fostering, but it certainly paints a picture of the range of different things that have to happen in the lead-up.

Not every fostering experience will be like this one; many foster families won’t find themselves with a lot of time before a child and social worker arrive at the door. Some might get a phone call in the middle of the night while others will have just a few hours to make up the bedroom. But whatever the timescale, there are moments of preparation and getting ready.

We’re also given a picture of the pain and the sacrifice that can coincide with the joys of fostering. We see a man experiencing pain and exhaustion. Again, this will look different to different carers and at different moments, but we think it’s important that a realistic picture of fostering is painted; one that includes challenges, as well as brilliant moments. What's beautiful about the advert, reflecting to us at Home for Good the heart and the passion we see in so many within our network and community, is the carer's determination to carry on for Ellie's sake, even when he's experiencing some discomfort.

5. The power dynamics are levelled

Perhaps one of my favourite things about the John Lewis Christmas ad is that it meddles with power dynamics – in a truly wonderful way. All too often, children in care or with care experience are depicted as vulnerable, lost, broken, in need. Pictures like this can cause harm, feeding stigma and writing rescue narratives.

In this film, we see the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of the carer, not the child. We learn that he’s not a super-hero, and he’s not got it all together, but that he’s a normal, kind of clumsy guy. When Ellie arrives, she looks nervous – which is understandable – but so do her carers.

When we watch this ad, we’re not looking at saviours and a child needing saving – we’re looking at three people. And I think that’s an incredibly powerful thing.

In a video sharing some of the thoughts and motivations behind the advert, John Lewis Director of Customer, Claire, shares, “I think it will make you stop and think and say, ‘How can I help?’”

Our hope and prayer is that right across the UK, people will watch the advert and stop, think and ask that question. We want to see thousands of individuals and families inspired to explore fostering. We want to see homes found for children and young people who are waiting; homes where they will be known, understood, encouraged and celebrated, just like in the ad.

If you find yourself asking that question – how can I help? – we at Home for Good would love to support you to take your next step. Visit our connect page, where you can make contact with our team who can chat to you about fostering, adoption and supported lodgings, or sign up to our mailing list for more stories, news and information about children and young people in care.

[1] Department for Education, 2021. Children looked after in England including adoptions. Available online.

[2] Children’s Commissioner for England, 2020. Stability Index 2020. Available online.