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Community Conversations - 1/23/23 - Foster Solutions

  • 1.  Community Conversations - 1/23/23 - Foster Solutions

    Posted 01-19-2023 12:04 PM
    Updated 1/23/23 at 2:20pm - Recording now available to watch on-demand! 


    We hope you will join us 
    on Monday, January 23, 2023 at 11am PT for our next Community Conversations call. 

    We will be joined by @Kelly Duer, Senior Community Solutions Specialist at Maddie's Fund for a presentation on Foster Solutions! Is your shelter or rescue full, or close to it? In this presentation, we'll look at successful techniques organizations around the country are using to place pets in foster homes and move foster pets on to permanent homes more quickly.

    Register here for our Monday Community Conversations Calls: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration

    If you are unable to make it live on Monday, this thread will be updated with the recording and resources so you can watch and share whenever you'd like. After you watch the recording or attend the call, be sure to complete this January entry form to enter to win up to a $10,000 grant: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-jan23-giveaway.htm



    #FosterPrograms
    #MarketingandSocialMedia
    #OrganizationalManagement

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    Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
    Maddie's Fund
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  • 2.  RE: Community Conversations - 1/23/23 - Foster Solutions

    Posted 01-23-2023 12:13 PM
      |   view attached

    • We had a few questions about foster training in the chat that I wanted to make sure to address-
      • Research has shown that the single most important factor in foster retention is fosters feeling they've been adequately trained. This can be done in a way that's low-barrier and simple for staff.
      • Some organizations are creating quick trainings that are automated and completely online, so they can be taken at any time and don't necessitate more work from foster staff. You can see some examples here and here.
      • I'd recommend that most orgs have two ways to do training so that it is accessible to more people, and can be done on the spot. Checklists with topics to discuss can be really helpful here.
      • One way organizations are providing more self-serve information for fosters is online foster resource pages and boards. Check these out:
      • From what I've seen there isn't a standard training requirement for Foster to Adopt, but you can see examples of documents from several programs here.
    • There was a question about foster manuals that could be used as templates-- yes, there are quite a few here in our resource library!
    The slides from today's presentation are attached.

    If anyone is interested in chatting further, I'm available to meet with you anytime to brainstorm solutions, troubleshoot, answer questions and connect you with foster resources. If you'd like to meet, you can can pick a time on my Calendly, and I'll add the Zoom link as soon as it creates the invite: https://calendly.com/duer/fosterconsult  

    ------------------------------
    Kelly Duer
    Senior Community Solutions Initiative Specialist
    Maddie's Fund
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    Attachment(s)

    pptx
    Foster LOS.pptx   27.05 MB 1 version


  • 3.  RE: Community Conversations - 1/23/23 - Foster Solutions

    Posted 01-23-2023 12:33 PM
    Thank you.  You presented a lot of useful information and resources that I need to go digest.  Someone in the chat commented that they do a foster program with prison inmates.  I was wondering how many other groups have similar programs and what were the challenges and successes.

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    Gwen Harding-Peets
    Volunteer, TNR, foster, board member
    PANT
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  • 4.  RE: Community Conversations - 1/23/23 - Foster Solutions

    Posted 01-23-2023 01:15 PM
    Oh, that is such a good question! I'd love to hear from others who have programs like these. Here are a few resources you may want to check out:

    Classroom foster at San Diego Humane Society (18 min. video)

    Library Cat foster program at Rusk County Pets Alive! (video)

    ------------------------------
    Kelly Duer
    Senior Community Solutions Initiative Specialist
    Maddie's Fund
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  • 5.  RE: Community Conversations - 1/23/23 - Foster Solutions

    Posted 02-26-2023 11:05 AM

    THanks for the post!  Great ideas!



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    Cynthia Howle
    volunteer: community relations
    Dog Lovers' League
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  • 6.  RE: Community Conversations - 1/23/23 - Foster Solutions

    Posted 02-26-2023 10:23 AM

    I would love to see a Community Conversations about how to work with prisons on programs for fostering and training.  



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    Stacy Graves
    Volunteer
    The Pet Connection
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  • 7.  RE: Community Conversations - 1/23/23 - Foster Solutions

    Posted 02-27-2023 09:26 AM

    Hi Stacy, IMO most people think of fostering dogs in prisons. Here's an article I wrote some years ago about fostering kittens in prisons. https://purrfectpals.org/wp-content/uploads/PowerofPurr1.pdf  I hope it inspires some to try similar programs. Keep up the good work!



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    Nancy Peterson
    The National Kitten Coalition
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  • 8.  RE: Community Conversations - 1/23/23 - Foster Solutions

    Posted 02-27-2023 09:39 AM

    I would love this too.  We've just recently started a pilot program where a company fosters a canine.  One of two persons would share responsibility of taking the dog home over the weekends (there is someone always there Monday-Friday).  I would like to move this into nursing homes and fire houses. 



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    stephanie lewis
    humane society of greater dayton
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  • 9.  RE: Community Conversations - 1/23/23 - Foster Solutions