Build a Successful Foster Program for Your Shelter

Are you struggling to find safe, loving environments while the pets in your care wait for their forever homes? Foster families provide temporary care to animals. An organized, well-developed shelter foster care program helps animals adjust, thrive, and become more adoptable.

Fostering is a life-changing experience for pets and a rewarding one for humans. It's a chance to make a real difference in the lives of these animals. Learn how to launch a successful foster program for your shelter.

Why Foster Programs Are Essential for Shelters

Connecting pets with temporary homes can increase their chances of adoption and free up space for other animals. These temporary homes provide valuable socialization and care that can make animals more adoptable. Fostering is a win-win – it saves lives and gives animals the best shot at finding a home while creating a deeper connection between the community and the shelter.

Here are five steps you need to know to build a successful foster program:

Step 1: Assess Your Shelter's Needs for a Foster Program

People can only volunteer if they know you're looking for someone to get involved. Let it be known you're actively looking for volunteers on your shelter's website or social media. You can also place ads on the radio or in your local newspaper. Get the message out to anyone who may be looking for volunteer opportunities at an animal shelter.

There's a huge variety of animals looking for foster homes. Start by understanding the types of animals that could benefit most from a foster program. For example:

Puppies or kittens
Senior animals
Pets recovering from surgery, illness, or injury
Animals that are not thriving in the shelter environment
Special needs pets (behavioral or medical)
Shy or anxious animals

Knowing your shelter's needs will help you target the right audience for your pet foster program.

Step 2: Create Foster Program Guidelines

Being transparent is the best way to avoid confusion or misunderstanding between fosters and shelters. Create a foster program manual that outlines expectations, guidelines, and the responsibilities of foster parents. Guidelines may include:

Duration of the foster care
Care requirements (feeding, medical care, socialization)
Reporting and check-ins
Any costs covered by the shelter (food, supplies, veterinary care)
Foster parent support and training

Adjust guidelines to your specific animal shelter.

Step 3: Use PawPlacer to Recruit Foster Parents

Coordinate your foster program by tracking applications, placements, and capacity with PawPlacer. You can create detailed profiles for your shelter animals, allowing potential foster parents to see their needs and personalities. Match pets with ideal foster homes and manage all paperwork digitally. Plus, you can track progress, send updates, and communicate directly with foster homes.

Step 4: Advertise and Screen Shelter Foster Parents

Advertise your shelter's foster program to the community. You can use social media, your shelter's website, or local events to find people interested in fostering animals. Get the word out to as many people as possible that you're actively looking for foster families.

Once you start receiving interest from potential foster parents, it's time to screen applicants. Here's how to use PawPlacer to make screening quick and simple.

Foster parents can easily submit an application through the platform, where they'll provide their details, preferences, and other important information.
You can fully customize the application to suit your shelter's specific needs.
Once an application is submitted, you'll receive a notification and can review the details immediately.
Decide whether to move forward with the applicant or deny their request.
Once they're approved, they'll be added to your system.
Communication moving forward can happen in person for a smooth transition into pet fostering.

5. Step 5: Provide Ongoing Support

If it's within your budget, prepare basic kits for foster parents, including food, bedding, and toys. Don't forget to include any medical supplies. These kits help make sure foster parents have everything they need for a successful experience.

But the support doesn't stop there! Stay in touch with your foster families throughout their time fostering. Regular check-ins through calls, emails, or even quick texts help fosters feel more confident. The more connected you are, the more successful the foster experience will be.

More Tips for Starting a Foster Program for Pets

This guide covers all the basics of how to start a foster program in your shelter. Once you establish your program, here are a few more ideas to help it thrive.

Create a support group for foster families. Foster parents can share tips, ask questions, and support one another.
Offer flexible fostering options, kike short-term, long-term, or emergency fostering.
Offer free training sessions for fosters.
Track how many animals successfully go into foster care and get adopted. This data can be helpful when applying for grants, reaching out to potential donors, or improving your foster program.
Foster families are doing an incredible service. Say thank you with a small gift, card, or social media shout-out.
Celebrate the success of your foster program by sharing success stories on your shelter's social media and website.

Start Your Shelter's Foster Program

Starting a foster program in your shelter is one of the easiest ways to team up with the community and work together to save lives. With tools like PawPlacer, an all-in-one pet shelter management platform, you can make fostering easier than ever. Ready to take the next step?