Converting Fosters to Adopters

It's common for foster caregivers to form bonds with the animals in their care and decide to adopt them. PawPlacer provides a streamlined process to convert a foster to an adopter without losing their foster history.

Understanding Foster-to-Adopter Conversion

When a foster decides to adopt a pet, you have two options:

1. Add adopter role: Keep the person as an active foster and add an adopter role
2. Full conversion: Convert the foster to an adopter only (removing their active foster status)

When to Convert a Foster to an Adopter

Consider converting a foster to an adopter when:

• The foster expresses interest in permanently adopting their foster pet
• The foster pet is ready for adoption and the foster is the best placement
• You want to maintain the relationship history while processing an adoption

Converting a Foster to an Adopter

Follow these steps to convert a foster to an adopter:

1. Navigate to the foster's profile
2. Click the menu icon (three dots) in the top-right corner
3. Select Convert to Adopter
4. In the conversion dialog that appears:

Conversion Options

You'll need to make two important choices:

1. Foster Role Status

Choose whether to:

• Maintain Foster Status: Keep the person as an active foster while adding adopter role (dual role)
• Convert to Adopter Only: Remove foster status and make them an adopter only

Note: Maintaining foster status is useful when the person plans to continue fostering other animals.

2. Adopter Template

Choose whether to:

• Create New Template: Create a new adopter template based on the foster's information
• Use Existing Template: Select an existing adopter template from the dropdown menu

Note: Using an existing template can save time if you have standard adopter forms.

5. Click Convert to Adopter to complete the process

What Happens During Conversion

When you convert a foster to an adopter:

1. Profile Creation: A new adopter profile is created with information from the foster profile
2. Pet Status Updates: Any active foster animals are updated to "adopted" status
3. Assignment Closure: Foster assignments are marked as completed
4. Adoption Record: A new adoption record is created for each pet
5. Foster Status: The foster profile is updated based on your selection (maintained or inactivated)

Managing Dual-Role Profiles

After conversion (if maintaining foster status), the person will have both foster and adopter roles:

Switching Between Roles

1. A role indicator will appear at the top of the profile
2. Use the tabs to switch between Foster and Adopter views:

• Foster: Shows foster history, preferences, and current foster assignments
• Adopter: Shows adoption history, adopted pets, and adopter information

Managing Profile Updates

When someone has dual roles:

1. Basic contact information is shared between profiles
2. Role-specific information is maintained separately
3. Updates to shared information will reflect in both profiles

Removing Adopter Role

If you need to revert someone back to a foster-only role:

1. Navigate to their adopter profile
2. Click the menu icon (three dots) in the top-right corner
3. Select Revert to Foster Only
4. Confirm the action in the dialog that appears

Note: This will remove the adopter profile but maintain all adoption records. The pets will remain adopted.

Managing Adoption Payments

If your organization requires adoption fees:

1. During the conversion process, you'll need to process the adoption separately
2. Navigate to the newly created adopter profile
3. Follow your standard adoption payment process
4. The system will link the payment to the adoption record

Key Benefits of Foster-to-Adopter Conversion

• Streamlined Workflow: Simplifies the adoption process for foster caregivers
• Data Preservation: Maintains the complete history of the animal's journey
• Relationship Management: Preserves your relationship with the person across multiple roles
• Accurate Reporting: Ensures your statistics correctly reflect both fostering and adoption activities

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Foster Adopts and Continues Fostering

1. Convert using "Maintain Foster Status" option
2. Process the adoption for the current foster pet
3. The foster remains active in your system for future assignments

Scenario 2: Foster Adopts and Stops Fostering

1. Convert using "Convert to Adopter Only" option
2. Process the adoption for the current foster pet
3. The foster status becomes inactive, but the history is preserved

Scenario 3: Foster with Multiple Pets Adopts One

1. Convert using "Maintain Foster Status" option
2. The selected pet moves to adopted status
3. Other foster pets remain as active foster assignments

Next Steps

• Learn about managing adopter profiles
• Understand how to process adoptions
• Review foster capacity management to ensure you're tracking availability correctly