Animal Welfare Professionals

I'm looking for the best ways to attract and retain good fosters. 

We to beef up our foster/volunteer program with an emphasis on foster to adopt.

Thanks,

I'm looking for the best ways to attract and retain good fosters. 

We to beef up our foster/volunteer program with an emphasis on foster to adopt.

Thanks,

Actually, I'd be interested in hearing any additional ideas beyond foster to adopt. As Maggie pointed out, with foster to adopt you end up having to constantly recruit new foster families.  As a small organization the challenge we have is that foster families  are very enthusiastic when they first sign up.  They want kittens right away.  But when those get adopted, they want to have another litter waiting in the wings for them to foster.  If we don't have any to give them right away, they lose interest and become unavailable.  Our kitten season has intense periods where we are flooded with intakes, and other times are really slow.  So it's hard to sustain their interest in the program long term.  Some also don't want to do any "long term" fostering for kittens that don't get adopted quickly.  How do other small organizations manage their foster recruitment?

I'm looking for the best ways to attract and retain good fosters. 

We to beef up our foster/volunteer program with an emphasis on foster to adopt.

Thanks,

Our foster program has had great success with vets in the area letting us put up flyers and brochures for our foster and volunteer program in their office. We got a LOT of new volunteer and fosters this way!

Actually, I'd be interested in hearing any additional ideas beyond foster to adopt. As Maggie pointed out, with foster to adopt you end up having to constantly recruit new foster families.  As a small organization the challenge we have is that foster families  are very enthusiastic when they first sign up.  They want kittens right away.  But when those get adopted, they want to have another litter waiting in the wings for them to foster.  If we don't have any to give them right away, they lose interest and become unavailable.  Our kitten season has intense periods where we are flooded with intakes, and other times are really slow.  So it's hard to sustain their interest in the program long term.  Some also don't want to do any "long term" fostering for kittens that don't get adopted quickly.  How do other small organizations manage their foster recruitment?

I'm looking for the best ways to attract and retain good fosters. 

We to beef up our foster/volunteer program with an emphasis on foster to adopt.

Thanks,

Thank you!  That's a great way to recruit.  How do you retain them?  Are they constantly supplied with fosters to take care of?

Our foster program has had great success with vets in the area letting us put up flyers and brochures for our foster and volunteer program in their office. We got a LOT of new volunteer and fosters this way!

Actually, I'd be interested in hearing any additional ideas beyond foster to adopt. As Maggie pointed out, with foster to adopt you end up having to constantly recruit new foster families.  As a small organization the challenge we have is that foster families  are very enthusiastic when they first sign up.  They want kittens right away.  But when those get adopted, they want to have another litter waiting in the wings for them to foster.  If we don't have any to give them right away, they lose interest and become unavailable.  Our kitten season has intense periods where we are flooded with intakes, and other times are really slow.  So it's hard to sustain their interest in the program long term.  Some also don't want to do any "long term" fostering for kittens that don't get adopted quickly.  How do other small organizations manage their foster recruitment?

I'm looking for the best ways to attract and retain good fosters. 

We to beef up our foster/volunteer program with an emphasis on foster to adopt.

Thanks,

Actually, I'd be interested in hearing any additional ideas beyond foster to adopt. As Maggie pointed out, with foster to adopt you end up having to constantly recruit new foster families.  As a small organization the challenge we have is that foster families  are very enthusiastic when they first sign up.  They want kittens right away.  But when those get adopted, they want to have another litter waiting in the wings for them to foster.  If we don't have any to give them right away, they lose interest and become unavailable.  Our kitten season has intense periods where we are flooded with intakes, and other times are really slow.  So it's hard to sustain their interest in the program long term.  Some also don't want to do any "long term" fostering for kittens that don't get adopted quickly.  How do other small organizations manage their foster recruitment?

I'm looking for the best ways to attract and retain good fosters. 

We to beef up our foster/volunteer program with an emphasis on foster to adopt.

Thanks,

We are in CT.  We pull kittens and moms and kittens from down south, mostly WV and FL to help when our local area is low on kittens. This is a good way to keep kittens to foster through much of the year. During the winter we do have some older kittens that we try to help and ask our fosters to work with them. We are a very small foster based rescue and have a handful of very dedicated fosters. There are only a couple of us who can take the more complicated cases so that does hinder us at times but we can pass the kittens off to one of the other fosters when they slightly bigger and stabilized. It is tough, though, overall to recruit new fosters especially when they see all it entails. Many people are interested but when they hear they have to bring the kittens to the adoption events every weekend until the kitten is deposited or adopted it is a deterrent for some.

Actually, I'd be interested in hearing any additional ideas beyond foster to adopt. As Maggie pointed out, with foster to adopt you end up having to constantly recruit new foster families.  As a small organization the challenge we have is that foster families  are very enthusiastic when they first sign up.  They want kittens right away.  But when those get adopted, they want to have another litter waiting in the wings for them to foster.  If we don't have any to give them right away, they lose interest and become unavailable.  Our kitten season has intense periods where we are flooded with intakes, and other times are really slow.  So it's hard to sustain their interest in the program long term.  Some also don't want to do any "long term" fostering for kittens that don't get adopted quickly.  How do other small organizations manage their foster recruitment?

I'm looking for the best ways to attract and retain good fosters. 

We to beef up our foster/volunteer program with an emphasis on foster to adopt.

Thanks,

I'm looking for the best ways to attract and retain good fosters. 

We to beef up our foster/volunteer program with an emphasis on foster to adopt.

Thanks,

 I personally do not like our Foster 2 Adopt Program. I mean I like because the dogs get out of the shelter and do not have to wait for surgery onsite, but not as a general rule. Foster 2 adopts are so needy and are constantly asking questions. With your trained fosters they are used to fostering and they only contact you with real medical or behavior concerns.  I am also having issues with compliance from foster 2 adopts, no shows for surgery, not responding when we contact them. I would be interested to know if you guys run into the same problems and how you handle them.

I do have issues with retaining normal fosters, I have over a thousand people I reach out to for help, but only a quarter (if that)reply back that they can take a dog, not to mention everyone wants a little dog and very few if any want a large dog.  They are all very picky about what they take. Has anyone found a solution to this problem?

Thank you for helping to save lives!

Lori Rhoades

Animal Services Coordinator

The Front Street Shelter

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Lori Rhoades
K9 Foster and Rescue Coordinator
The Front Street Shelter

Original Message:
Sent: 07-22-2023 12:27 PM
From: Ernest Hagan
Subject: What's the best way to attract and retain good fosters?

I'm looking for the best ways to attract and retain good fosters. 

We to beef up our foster/volunteer program with an emphasis on foster to adopt.

Thanks,

#FosterPrograms

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Ernest Hagan
Animal Services Director
Clay County Animal Services
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I'm looking for the best ways to attract and retain good fosters. 

We to beef up our foster/volunteer program with an emphasis on foster to adopt.

Thanks,

I'm looking for the best ways to attract and retain good fosters. 

We to beef up our foster/volunteer program with an emphasis on foster to adopt.

Thanks,

I'm looking for the best ways to attract and retain good fosters. 

We to beef up our foster/volunteer program with an emphasis on foster to adopt.

Thanks,