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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  

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    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)

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    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

    Posted 02-28-2023 08:45 AM

    This is such a good idea! How did you reach out to the businesses? Did you get many people who were eager to participate? I'm trying to start something similar but having a business be a "buddy" to the dog, ie take them on field trips, have the dog visit them at work, etc. 



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    MK Roney
    Dog Trainer, Grant Writer, Volunteer
    Humane Society of the White Mountains
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  • 10.  RE: Community Conversations - 1/23/23 - Foster Solutions

    Posted 02-27-2023 10:01 AM

    Prison programs in Ohio: 

    CANINE-INMATE PROGRAM / CORRECTIONAL RECEPTION CENTER

    A.D.O.P.T. is partnered with the prison dog program at the Correctional Reception Center (CRC) in Orient, Ohio. Homeless dogs are paired with an inmate canine handler who lives with the animal 24 hours a day. While in the program, the dogs learn canine manners, how to obey basic commands (i.e. sit, stay, down, come), and are socialized with multiple people in a variety of situations.

    Primary Contacts: adopt@adoptpetrescue.org

    TENDER LOVING CARE / MANSFIELD CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION

    The Humane Society of Richland County has been involved with the Mansfield Correctional Institution's Tender Loving Dog Care Program since 2008. The inmate handlers teach the dogs basic obedience commands and crate train the dogs. The program is very beneficial for dogs in our care, as well as for the handlers themselves.

    Primary Contact: adoptourstrays@yahoo.com or 419.774.4795

    DOGS 4 WARRIORS / BELMONT CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION

    Many of the Dogs 4 Warriors service dogs go through the training program at Belmont Correctional Institution. There, each dog is paired with an incarcerated veteran, who has a secondary trainer to assist him. Dogs 4 Warriors places 12 dogs at a time in this program. This system provides benefits to the dogs, the inmates, the correctional institution as a whole, and most importantly to the veterans we serve.

    Primary Contact: Sheila, Sheila@Dogs4Warriors.org

    DASH ANIMAL RESCUE / ROSS CORRECTIONAL AND CHILLICOTHE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS

    DASH (Danielle's Animal Safe Haven) is a 100% volunteer based non-profit 501c3 rescue. Their Mission is to rescue and rehome companion animals. They spay and neuter to reduce overpopulation and to assist in reducing the euthanasia rate for companion animals. They do this by providing the best possible care and treatment while waiting to place dogs in safe and loving permanent homes. 

    Primary Contact: Danielle, dashrescue00@gmail.com

    BEREA ANIMAL RESCUE FRIENDS / GRAFTON REINTEGRATION CENTER

    ARF maintains an innovative Foster Care Program with several area correctional institutions, which benefits both the handlers and the animals in very profound ways. Established in May 2011, the Prison Foster Program provides us with consistent, trusted foster care for many more animals than we could care for within our physical shelter, and affords us the opportunity to accept short-term foster pets arriving through our Under the Wing Program.

    P.U.P.P. / LONDON CORRECTIONAL

    Purebred Rescue Organization (PRO) established the Pets Uniting People Program (PUPP) at London Correctional in 2003. At that time, PRO also had a program at Franklin Medical Center but that has since been discontinued. The PUPP program handlers train companion dogs in basic obedience, house training, and other home life skills, in order to prepare them for adoption. Dogs are typically in the program for 6-8 weeks.  

    Primary Contact: Ashley, ashley@prodogsohio.org



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    Donna Miller
    Happy Stripes, cat rescue in Ohio
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  • 11.  RE: Community Conversations - 1/23/23 - Foster Solutions

    Posted 02-27-2023 12:23 PM

    Hi @Stacy Graves ,

    Adding to the terrific list @Donna Miller posted, you might look into Pen Pals, Inc. inside Dixon Correctional Institute in Jackson, LA. The executive director is Holly Bendily. 

    Also, Karma Rescue in Southern California started Paws for Life, a training program at California State Prison in Los Angeles County.  You can read about it on our blog Chew on This

    An inspiring topic, for sure!



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    alison gibson
    Senior Media Specialist
    Maddie's Fund
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  • 12.  RE: Community Conversations - 1/23/23 - Foster Solutions

    Posted 02-27-2023 05:36 PM

    i would think if you emailed Tia Torres, Villa Lobos Rescue, I think she has done this



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    Sandy Cole
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  • 13.  RE: Community Conversations - 1/23/23 - Foster Solutions

    Posted 01-23-2023 02:46 PM
    Thanks to the 324+ people who attended today's call live. The recording is now available to watch or share on-demand: https://youtu.be/WruV4HK6DW4

    After tuning in, don't forget to complete the giveaway entry form to increase your chances of winning up to a $10,000 grant from Maddie's Fund: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-jan23-giveaway.htm

    Here's a recap of today's call including the resources that were shared and thanks to our presenter @Kelly Duer for sharing her presentation slides

    Agenda
    • Welcome - Co-hosts
    • Mary Ippoliti-Smith, Executive Leadership Team, Maddie's Fund, on the Lunar New Year of the Rabbit – a beautiful, meaningful tradition. And how painful and tragic are the mass shooting targeting the Asian community in Monterey Park, CA this past weekend. People in our organizations and communities may be experiencing pain, fear, trauma from this tragedy. Let's create some time and space for them to grieve and process.

    National Updates

    Presentation: Foster Solutions by Kelly Duer
    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.

    Related links:

    I also saw a question in the chat about foster manuals! Here are links to example foster manuals that are available to download in the Maddie's Pet Forum Resource Library:

      Highlights From The Chat
      • "We had a particularly cold weekend in Nashville and we put out a call for fosters to "get dogs and cats out of the cold" (we do Crisis Foster Care). Because of the extreme weather event, we had more responses than ever before!" - Gabe Horton
      • "We offer adoption trials for all our cats and connect one on one with the adopters which has helped keep cats in their adoptive home after finalizing" - Amanda Gray
      • "We started doing foster to adopt due to delays in spay/neuter or limited staff to do adoptions. I wish we would have started to do this sooner" - Shelley Joaquin
      • "We are foster based rescue. We officially implemented Foster to Adopt program and call adoptions "Foster Success". We did this after analyzing our statistics and learning that 68% of our adoptions were with their fosters." - Kriss Harrigian
      • "This is my first meeting! Definitely helpful!! will be watching every Monday " - Rachel
      • "I've already sent 2 ideas to my team!!" - Kelly Furnas


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      Charlotte Otero
      Community Strategist at Maddie's Fund
      she/her
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