Foster Program Management Collection

Foster Program Management Collection

What does successful foster program management look like? Standard operating procedures systematize processes. All labor resources are used effectively, including volunteers. Pathway planning ensures pets don't fall through the cracks. 

Foster programs that are most successful in the area of program management have the following key characteristics:

  • Create standard operating procedures for foster and use them effectively. 
  • Build a foster organizational chart that maximizes available resources, including paid foster staff, reallocated staff and volunteers. 
  • Conduct foster rounds regularly to ensure that fostered pets don’t fall through the cracks.
  • Provide pathway planning/behavior plans when needed. 
  • Treat all pets as individuals. 

This collection contains Maddie's University courses to help you manage your foster program, as well as many examples from successful programs. 

keywords: foster collection, foster program management best practices, standard operating procedures for foster, foster organizational chart optimization, effective use of foster volunteers, foster pathway planning strategies, foster rounds, streamlined foster program operations

  • Care Pathways: Guiding Animals Through the Shelter
    Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits

    Move animals efficiently from intake to outcome

    Care pathways have long been used in human medical care, and now they are being used successfully in animal care as well. Care pathways are standardized paths that guide a group of pets from intake to outcome and direct resources to the animals that need them. Care pathways aim to reduce shelter stay, providing high quality and efficient care for animals in your organization’s care, based upon their needs. During this course, you’ll learn about care pathways and how to create care pathways for your organization. You’ll generate a care pathway plan that meets your organization’s needs, including plans for implementation and evaluation.

  • Foster Greatness: Elevating and Streamlining Your Foster Program
    Contains 2 Component(s), Includes Credits

    If you'd like to recruit, train and onboard volunteers quicker, better, faster, then grab your foster coordinators and a seat in this action-packed class now.

    Gone are the days of handwritten applications and in-person volunteer orientations. Foster programs are evolving at lightning speed, leveraging new technologies to give their program a digital makeover.

    Presenters: Dr. Sara Pizano, founder Team Shelter USA; Sarah Aguilar, Foster Programs Manager at GreaterGood.org; Chris Roy, founder of Doobert; Rene Vasquez, Director at Fort Bend County Animal Services; Laura Chavarria, Executive Director of the Nashville Humane Association; and Sarah Cano, Community Engagement Coordinator at the Humane Society of Harlingen, TX.

    keywords:

    community cats, humane field services, Million Cat Challenge, admissions, shelter medicine, in-care welfare, animal & population management, kittens, kitten care, kitten foster, keep companion animals in their homes and neighborhoods, capacity & flow, community outreach, re-home pets without the shelter system, foster care programs for animal shelters, kitten foster care programs, volunteers, recruiting volunteers, foster coordinator, webcast

  • High Volume Foster Programs for Cats and Dogs
    Contains 2 Component(s), Includes Credits

    Learn how to rethink foster care in terms of capacity and expand the concept of what animals should be considered for foster.

    Learn how to rethink foster care in terms of capacity and expand the concept of what animals should be considered for foster. You can increase lifesaving when you offer at-risk pets for foster who are not transferred in yet.

    Presenters: Frenden, Goins, Epstein






    Maximize In-Shelter Welfare, Animal & Population Management,live outcomes,foster programs, foster care,pet fostering, community outreach, cat foster, dog foster, puppy foster

  • Using Care Pathways to Manage Your Shelter Behavior Program - webcast
    Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits

    During this webcast, we’ll talk about care pathways regarding behavior and how we can utilize them to improve our shelter behavior programs.

    Presenter: Dr. Sheila Segurson, Director of Outreach and Research for Maddie's Fund®

    Care Pathways are standardized plans for animals that have the same type of condition. They allow for individualized support while ensuring efficient, effective care for animals with that condition. They’re commonly used for improving animals’ paths through the shelter system, as well as managing medical conditions. During this presentation, we’ll talk about care pathways regarding behavior and how we can utilize them to improve our shelter behavior programs.

    Watch this webcast in conjunction with the self-paced course on Maddie's University: https://university.maddiesfund.org/products/care-pathways-guiding-animals-through-the-shelter 

    This webinar has been pre-approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by the National Animal Care & Control Association.

    Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/WebcastCa...

    keywords care pathways, shelter dog behavior, behavior modification, dog handling, cat handling, shelter behavior program, animal shelter, animals shelters


    Sheila Segurson, DACVB (Moderator)

    Director of Outreach and Research

    Maddie's Fund

    As Director of Outreach and Research for Maddie's Fund®, Dr. Sheila Segurson's goal is to develop and support research that increases pet adoptions from rescue groups and shelters and improves pet well-being. She relies upon her background working in and with animal shelters, pet foster care programs, and veterinary medicine to lead Maddie's Fund research efforts.

    After graduating from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Segurson worked as a general practice/emergency/shelter veterinarian at pet hospitals in California. Then, in 2005, Sheila graduated from Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program at UC Davis, becoming the first in the nation to complete a three-year, post-graduate behavior specialty training program with an emphasis on shelter animals and shelter behavior programs. She worked for several pet welfare organizations, including UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program, The Sacramento SPCA, and the Animal Rescue League of Boston, where she developed and implemented enrichment/behavior modification programs.