Job Description: Foster Care Coordinator for Shelter Animals

Pairing foster families with a pet in need of care is rewarding on several levels. The process is important because it moves one more animal from the shelter system into a loving, temporary home. While you don't need a license, degree or formal education to become a foster care coordinator, you have to possess certain communication skills to make and maintain the right matches.

Assessment
The individual's desire to foster a shelter animal is an important first step, but there are a number of other factors you must also take into consideration before approving an applicant. Because shelter animals can harbor residual fears from past trauma, it's essential to determine a potential carer's lifestyle and commitment level. A casual interview with open-ended questions gives you a clear understanding of the applicant's expectations, experience and boundaries, while references and a background check help to corroborate those claims.

Training
The success of any foster pairing rests upon the level of training each individual receives once being accepted into the program. Consistency of daily care protocols and adherence to shelter policies must be maintained by all foster families to guarantee a positive experience for animals and humans alike. As such, coordinators meet and evaluate all family members who will have a hand in caring for the animal, from children to grandparents, so everyone understands and appropriately executes their specific roles.

Foster Responsibility
Fostering is a free venture for those who can temporarily give their time and love in exchange. As coordinator, it's up to you to make sure foster families follow established guidelines such as feeding only shelter-provided food (some animals require special dietary formulas); seeking medical attention only through in-house veterinarians or approved external clinics (shelters often negotiate special rates); and refraining from making any changes to the animal's schedule without first consulting you for coaching and moral support.

Intrinsic Qualities
Foster care coordinators embody several personal qualities not typically required of other jobs. Three essential traits include having compassion and empathy when interacting with the foster families, harboring respect for both animals and people, as well as having an intrinsic concern and affection for animals.

Originally written for and published by Demand Media