Can I foster if I have pets?

Yes! Many of our foster carers have pets and often tell us the positive impact they have on the children in their care. Pets are great for teaching children caregiving skills, responsibility and empathy.

Foster carer, Alison has a dog and says she “has helped our children no end. They can take responsibility for looking after her, feeding, brushing, and walking. It makes them feel as if they are caring for someone. She is also very intuitive and helps me understand how they are feeling.”

The Fostering Network advises “Having pets does not prevent you from fostering, in fact, they can be an asset to a foster family. However, every animal is different and your pets will be assessed as part of the process of becoming a foster carer, taking into account factors such as their temperament and behaviour. As a pet owner, you also need to think about how you would feel and react if a child injures one of your pets.”

Pets in the household will be discussed early on when you express an interest in fostering and discussed in more depth during the Health and Safety inspection section of the assessment.

It’s important that boundaries are put in place early on by foster carers to ensure children know how to interact with your pet appropriately. Children may have never lived with pets before or they may have had pets in their family home but not be aware of how to appropriately care for them. Other times it may not be suitable for children to come into your care if you have pets, as they may be allergic to pets or have a strong fear of dogs for example.

Foster carer, Erica says “pets give a young person a sense of responsibility, something they can look after and care for. One of my cats likes to sleep with my young person which they find a big comfort if they’re feeling a bit sad. It also helps them calm down, if they can calm down the pets will enjoy being with us.”

Erica has a dog, 3 cats and a rabbit. When Erica offered a short stay for 2 children all they wanted to do for the duration of their stay was stroke the rabbit, Florence! The children “had to learn to be quiet and calm and eventually the rabbit came to them for a tickle.”

Foster carer, Cheryl has a dog and cat. Dudley the dog “is so well natured and really intuitive with the children. He sits with them if they are sad and loves to play with them out on the fields. All of the children have been drawn to him. We talk to the children about having ‘kind hands’ and how best to approach the pets. Both pets have a calming influence.”

Coming into care can be a difficult time for children, they are going through a period of change and uncertainty and for some children having a pet in the home can be a welcome distraction. Foster carer, Julie says her 3 dogs, 3 cats and 5 hens “are critical for the introduction of a child in care to our home, they create a comfort blanket and safety barrier for the child whilst they familiarise themselves with their new surroundings and us.”

Occasionally children may bring a pet with them into care. Although this is rare, we ask that where possible foster cares welcome this pet into their home as this will be comforting for the child.

Foster carer Dayna says her foster child uses their dog, Betty “to calm his anxiety on road trips as she struggles in the car too so they cuddle each other.” Foster carer, Debbie says the babies in her care have been “mesmerized” by their fish tank. Foster carer, Kate has a cat, Pippa and told us “it is nice to watch our current foster daughter build a relationship with her, learning to be kind to animals and that if she is kind to the cat, the cat will want to spend time with her.” The children with foster carer, Paula enjoy teaching Pomeranian’s Lola and Poppy new tricks.

We seem to have a lot of foster carers with dogs! Here are some pictures that were shared with us on social media during International Dog Day.

 

If you are interested in becoming a foster carer, you can request an Information Pack by clicking here >>

Alternatively, why not pop along to one of our Information Sessions? We have in-person Information Sessions and virtual Information Sessions.