2017 National Kitten Coalition Fostering Fostering: Creating, Growing & Maintaining a Successful Foster Program New England Federation of Humane Societies April 2017 Presenters: Rebecca Jewell Executive Director Rosemarie Crawford, LVT Director of Educational Programs www.kittencoalition.org About The National Kitten Coalition Our mission is to increase survival rates of rescued kittens. We believe: Neonatal, sick & other at-risk kittens should be given a chance to grow and thrive. Our strong and well-researched educational programs save kitten lives and reduce euthanasia. Those on the front lines at animal shelters, rescue organizations and in the veterinary community work tirelessly to save lives, and we stand with them in their efforts. Together, we can save more lives! 2017 National Kitten Coalition 2 About Your Presenters Rebecca 10 years in animal welfare Henry, Rebecca s Started & managed two foster programs office assistant Interesting fact: Birthstone is a coffee bean Rosemarie LVT, worked as medical staff in shelters & vet clinics for almost 10 years Worked at private & municipal shelters as foster coordinator Interesting fact: Yellow and teal are favorite colors 2017 National Kitten Coalition 3 1
Presentation Overview First things first Administrative set-up Foster program documents Recruiting foster volunteers Clear expectations Retaining foster volunteers Obstacles to success Last thoughts 2017 National Kitten Coalition 4 First Things First This isn t an exhaustive approach to starting or maintaining a foster program There is no one-size-fits-all solution re: foster programs. Why is this? Tip: Get to know your neighboring sister shelters and rescues share with each other 2017 National Kitten Coalition 5 Administrative Set-Up Research, research, research Don t reinvent the wheel Who manages the foster program? Flow chart an animal s path through your organization intake to disposition Remember to build buy-in from board, staff, volunteers, etc. 2017 National Kitten Coalition 6 2
Administrative Set-Up How will program be funded? What about data management? Covered by your insurance? Don t forget a risk assessment! What would a good vetting process be? Tip: Time is a limited resource! Take time to build a rock solid foundation that is also manageable 2017 National Kitten Coalition 7 Foster Program Documents - Musts Foster application Vetting docs / process Foster manual Doesn t have to be fancy Get main points across Cover of a foster manual 2017 National Kitten Coalition 8 portion of a Table of Contents 2017 National Kitten Coalition 9 3
Foster Program Documents - Musts Foster agreement For each animal sent to foster Health records Tip: Provide a folder with foster agreement and health records (minimum) for foster. Folder must go wherever foster goes Tip: Don t forget about a foster database! 2017 National Kitten Coalition 10 foster agreement 2017 National Kitten Coalition 11 medical record 2017 National Kitten Coalition 12 4
portion of a foster database 2017 National Kitten Coalition 13 Foster Program Documents Ideas Medication chart Bottle feeding chart Feeding chart Personality profiles To share with potential adopters 2017 National Kitten Coalition 14 kitten bottle feeding chart 2017 National Kitten Coalition 15 5
personality profile 2017 National Kitten Coalition 16 Foster Program Documents Ideas Internal supply list Any special tip sheets Will you log foster volunteer hours? Process for foster volunteers to adopt Neonatal Kitten Care Kit 1 Top Loading Carrier 1 SnuggleSafe 1 Digital Kitchen Scale 3 Fleece Throws or Towels 1 container KMR Bottle(s) Stuffed animal 2017 National Kitten Coalition 17 Recruiting Constantly and consistently recruit Word of mouth Shelter visitors Example: house kittens in lobby who need fostered Community outreach 2017 National Kitten Coalition 18 6
Recruiting Media, social media Foster In Place via animal control Tip: Fostering can be a great family volunteer experience. Don t forget about the kids! Tip: Have a great foster photo archive. Cute goes a LONG way in helping to recruit fosters. 2017 National Kitten Coalition 19 recruitment flyer 2017 National Kitten Coalition 20 Set Clear Expectations Time commitment / schedule flexibility / availability Ability to let go Understanding the unknown Willing to follow SOPs 2017 National Kitten Coalition 21 7
Set Clear Expectations What does the organization expect? What can foster expect from the organization? Being clear, transparent and open can save time and minimize fallout from any future challenges or problems that may arise Tip: Clear expectations helps program run smoothly and forms foundation of trust, support and transparency 2017 National Kitten Coalition 22 Retaining Fosters Have clear policies, procedures, documentation and expectations Give them the tools to succeed! Follow the Golden Rule 2017 National Kitten Coalition 23 Retaining Fosters Atta-Girl / Atta-Boy show appreciation and thanks Mentoring program Did we mention show appreciation and thanks? In other words, you can t say it enough! 2017 National Kitten Coalition 24 8
Obstacles to Success A successful foster program is up to everyone in your organization, even if one person managing Transparency and feedback Is funding an issue? Why don t we have enough fosters? Why do fosters leave the program? What do we want to accomplish/what is our goal for the foster program? 2017 National Kitten Coalition 25 Last Thoughts Foster programs will go through changes as they grow and you learn what works and doesn t Stay flexible & have an open mind Think outside the box (or basket) Rely & lean on colleagues and friends Know that your foster volunteers want the organization to succeed Never give up Tip: Success is built on strong relationships with foster volunteers. 2017 National Kitten Coalition 26 Questions? 2017 National Kitten Coalition 27 9
Your Ideas? We can learn from each other! What has worked for your organization? What obstacles or pitfalls did you find? Your tips on recruitment and/or retention? Network with conference attendees to see what ideas you can take back to your organization! 2017 National Kitten Coalition 28 Remember The tallest oak in the forest was once just a little nut that held its ground. You can do this! 2017 National Kitten Coalition 29 Hey! Check This Out! Visited 5 nurseries ASPCA Austin Pets Alive! Best Friends Los Angeles Jacksonville Humane Society San Diego Humane Society Compiled all research & info in one life-saving resource www.kittencoalition.org/resources/kitten-nursery-manual 2017 National Kitten Coalition 30 10
Thank you! We appreciate you and the work you do! Meow at us! We want to hear from you! info@kittencoalition.org www.kittencoalition.org www.facebook.com/kittencoalition Rebecca Jewell Rebecca@kittencoalition.org Rosemarie Crawford Rosemarie@kittencoalition.org Workshops, Webinars & Consultation Services 11