For a foster child, pets can be a cornerstone of emotional health, sharers of unconditional friendship and a constant presence in a world that seems to be changing all the time. But they can also become the object of a foster child’s pent-up frustration and suppressed trauma. Knowing whether a pet, like a dog or cat, will be helpful or hurtful to a foster child depends on a thorough knowledge of his past.
Every effort to secure a promising future and a safe present becomes easier when you know your foster child’s past. Most foster children will be too familiar with abuse, neglect, isolation and rejection. In most cases, pets will represent the opposite of all those experiences. What’s more, cats and dogs hold no prejudice against anyone with a troubled past and tend to accept people rather naturally as long as they don’t perceive a threat. If your foster child has bounced from placement to placement and, especially in the case of an older foster child, begun to realize that his biological parents may not be able to provide for him or be interested in his well being, living with a family pet who accepts him unconditionally can be priceless.
Foster Children and Pets: Providing Comfort
Your foster child may also come from a home where the family pet was the only presence in the household who showed him affection and care. In this situation the child’s caseworker may ask that you take the child’s pet into your home. Preserving the bond your foster child has with his pet will help him feel at home, but keep in mind that you are under no obligation to foster the pet. If you have a pet in your home already, this can still preserve the positive feelings that your foster child associated with his pet – acceptance and warmth to name a few. It may also allow him to feel more comfortable because a pet is familiar, and familiarity can help your foster child feel at ease.
Even for someone without a difficult past, pets can be an incredible stress reliever. Cats demand almost nothing from the people they live with – this can come as a pleasant surprise for a foster child who had to care for his younger siblings when his parents couldn’t. Dogs require more attention but are almost always willing to pay it back doubly. They also teach responsibility – getting up to walk the dog on a cold winter morning is no small chore, but it helps build character and trust in a foster child.
Both dogs and cats can offer a few wholehearted laughs now and then and are expert relievers of loneliness. All of these traits make them great additions to foster families, as long as the pet does not pose a risk to the foster child and the foster child’s history suggests he is able to get along well with others.
Foster Children and Pets: Maintaining Safety
Unfortunately some foster children have a tough time getting along with others, and it’s no fault of their own. They may have lived through unspeakable trauma and witnessed horrible events that no child should see – some of those traumatic events may have involved animals. There’s no telling when bad memories might result in acts of violence.
Children with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) often do not form healthy emotional attachments to their family members. They tend to show affection by attempting to control the person or pet they want to be affectionate with. This can quickly damage the relationship between a pet and foster child or even result in violence. No one wants to find any member of the household at the receiving or giving end of a violent outburst, so it’s important to know your foster child’s history and keep a close eye on your foster child and your pet’s time together. If you feel that your foster child is physically harming your pet, be sure to reach out to your caseworker immediately.
Families with pets can find out if a child they are asked to foster has a history of violent behavior from the foster child’s caseworker. While it’s important to protect your family from harm, it’s also important to give your foster child the opportunity to feel warmth and unconditional friendship. Introducing your foster child to a pet that he can form a special bond with is a great way to give him that chance.
I took the class and afterwards the home study was done in my home I was denied because I have too many cats is there a law against that can I sue the foster care agency for denying me children you can email me at s black 3001 at gmail.com
Here is the DCP&P policy regarding pets.
§10:122C-6.7 Pets
(a) The resource family parent shall ensure that pets kept in the home pose no danger to the health, safety or well-being of a child in placement.
(b) The resource family parent shall ensure that all pets kept in the home are:
1. Domesticated and non-aggressive;
2. Vaccinated, if applicable, as prescribed by law or as recommended by a licensed veterinarian. The record of the vaccinations shall be maintained in the home, along with the name and address of the licensed veterinarian providing care for the pet;
3. If sick, removed from the areas occupied by the child in placement, until the pet has been examined by a licensed veterinarian who verifies that the pet does not present a risk to the child; and
4. Effectively controlled by leash, command or cage.
(c) The resource family parent shall ensure that animal waste is disposed of in a sanitary manner.
(d) If the child in placement is a pregnant adolescent, the resource family parent shall prohibit the child from cleaning a cat’s litter box.
I just got denied to become a foster parent because I have cats. This makes no sense to me. I have a loving home with 3 children of my own (1 is off the college next month) and to hear that I was shocked. Don’t even know whwee to go from here
I completed all my class. I had someone come to my home they seen that a had a 4 month old dog. I still completed the classes. They told me to buy a bump bed for my son room. I gave away my son expensive Nascar bed brought a extra dresser. Then to be told 3 months later they will not approve my house because I have a dog. A waste of time..waste of money.. my son is heart broken he looked forward to meeting the child. I’m frustrated.
I been in a placement for 16 yrs and now I’m 20 and i pay rent they just threatened to kick me out because I brought a dog for my PTSD is there anything I can do to avoid this situation or find a new place only have like 5 days to find a place
Thank you for reaching out to Foster and Adoptive Family Services (FAFS). I would recommend to try and come up with an agreement where you are currently living to prevent from having to move with such little time. In New Jersey, if you still had an opened case, I would recommend that you reach out to your caseworker ASAP so that they could assist in finding alternative housing options. If you have aged out of the foster care system and no longer have an opened case, I would recommend that you go down to the Social Services in your town as soon as possible to look into further housing assistance available. I wish you all the best.
Sincerely,
Lenore Bonilla
Support Services Manager
You could’ve pressed charges on the owner of the house for evicting you for a public safety dog or therapy’s dog because if you were to be evicted and have that pet a certified therapy dog or something along the those lines it would be illegal to evict someone
Find out if your region allows dogs as ESA pets. Register your dog as an ESA dog by getting a letter from your therapist, residences have to allow you to keep him.
theres a good chance i might be going into foster care, i am 17 and i have a dog that i refuse to be apart from, is it ultimately up to the foster home if they allow me to take my dog? can i refuse that home if they say i cant have my dog? im scared to leave my dog with anyone other than me . my dog is my whole world and the only comfort i have, i need her to feel safe and happy
Hello Amilie,
We’re sorry to hear you believe you may be going into care. First let us say, please know you have support and resources that are here to help you – you are not alone. We understand that want your pet to feel safe and happy just as it is important you are safe and happy as well. Every situation is different so there is no one answer regarding children in care taking pets with them. We would encourage you, should you need to go into care, to inquire about that possibility. We hope this helps and truly wish you the best. Please be sure to reach out us if you have any other questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Lenore Bonilla
Support Services Manager
At least in California, you can reject any home you don’t feel comfortable with. After too many homes, though, you may have to stay in a group home. I don’t think they allow pets
Amilie,
I hope you found a good home that allowed you to keep your dog
I would like to begin the process to foster 4 siblings through a kinship situation. I have two available bedrooms for them, however, one of the bedrooms does have a litter box in it that I could not put elsewhere. Would one or two children be allowed to sleep in that room if I clean the box daily?
No, cat litter is a potential danger for children of all ages.
I have just met a foster parent that told me she and her husband have a total of 10 children in her house between their bios and fosters.
They recently bought out a dog kennel to make extra money and put the dogs in the shed. They want the children to take care of them.
The dogs are filthy. Their fur is stained with urine.
Is this legal? DFS just gave them another little girl to foster.
I don’t believe children can keep those dogs clean or deliver the puppies. What if the dogs have a problem during delivery?
I don’t believe children who have not yet reached puberty should be playing vet with live animals.
Christine,
If you feel that there are concerns with this foster family and abuse and/or neglect is happening either with their own children or children currently in care, you will need to contact your local CPS to report the concerns. As we do not know in which state you reside, licensing requirements vary from state to state. Each state has their policy on the number of children that can be in a home, but most states allow waivers for certain situations. As far as the concerns for the animals, this would be a matter for your local Animal Control or the ASPCA.
Lenore Bonilla
Support Services Manager
That is illegal its animal neglect and they can get arrested
I am a starting the process of becoming a foster parent in NJ. The initial worker who came out did not think that there was any problem with my pets: 5 cats, 1 dog, and a small snake that is kept in a tank. My house is large, but I want to make sure that I have the correct vaccines for all my animals before continuing the process.
I have a doctorate in Elementary and early Childhood education and am a certified teacher, who would just like to be able to help more children.
Angela,
I was thinking about becoming a foster parent too. I also work at my local school district part time. I am also a fulltime student. I have two dogs (one is half pitbull and half boarder collie) and my other a mutt. I was trying to figure out if they would allow me to foster if i had a dog that was half pit. My pit is high energetic dog that loves to give kisses and play ball outside with my grandchild. Do you know if they do not allow people to foster with dogs that have some pit in them? I am also from New Jersey. Thank you
Amber
My husband and I would love to be able to foster and adopt. We are not able to have kids of our own. I have dogs and they are all very lovable and great with kids ! Will we be able to adopt
I’m 16 and looking to contact DSS soon about my current home situation and asked to be placed in foster care, but before I do I want to be sure of one major thing. I have a dog that I could possibly leave with my family, but I don’t trust them to take care of it. It’s MY dog that I adopted and I have the papers with my name on them and everything, but would I be able to take my dog with me? Could I request to find a foster home that would allow me to keep my dog? This is very important to me. If I won’t be able to keep the dog with me then I’m going to just suffer through my home life until I’m 18 and I won’t contact DSS. I would never forgive myself if I didn’t take him with me.
How many pets are you allowed to have to Foster a child? How many is too many?
Find out if your region allows dogs as ESA pets. Register your dog as an ESA dog by getting a letter from your therapist, residences have to allow you to keep him.
A close friend of mine is possibly about to enter the system, however, she owns a cat with asthma. She’s afraid that when she’s moved, they’re going to send her cat to a shelter and put him down. What ways might best help her either keep her cat or ensure he gets a proper home.
A key part of fostering is the idea that warm, nurturing relationships with foster families can help to change the developmental course of children who have suffered inadequate early care.
maybe you can get a note or recommendation by your doctor for an emotional support animal. then they cant kick you out!:)