Can Foster Carers Have Pets?
Fostering has its limitations; but certainly, pets are not among them. Read how you can foster a child if you have pets and the kind of pets that are allowed.
Do you have pets at home and you would like to keep them after fostering a child? It is possible to have a pet and still foster a child. We don’t have any specific legislation that bans pets when fostering children.
Are all pets suitable for fostering?
Whilst there is no legislation against pets when fostering, you must have only legal pets in your house. Abstractly speaking, you can’t have banned pets like wild animals. We will only consider your application if you have legal pets like dogs, cats, dogs, etc. Furthermore, we empahsise that we do not place children under foster care where a family has a big dog.
Even so, you must remember that we have dogs that are banned as pets by UK law. This means that you must check with local authorities if your dog is allowed in the UK as a pet.
Are pets assessed?
Yes, we assess all the pets that you have in your home. We consider your pet as part of your family, thus, conduct a preliminary background check about the pet that you have, just like it is with other members of your family.
For pets, we will talk to your vet to inquire about their general health and any safety concerns that they may have that will influence the fostering process. This is just a formality as we expect that you have taken good care of your pet and that it is fit to interact with children in a friendly manner.
How children are matched with pets?
Let’s face it, we all have different inherent fears of animals. This is not a strange phenomenon to foster children. In this regard, we have a rigorous matching process that seeks to ensure that the pet you have matches the personal preferences of the child you intend to foster.
Unique benefits of having pets when fostering
In our experience, pets play a pivotal role in bringing families closer. Pets are great friends, teachers, and could even be doctors!
Health benefits
When you have a pet in your home, you help to boost the immunity of your family members, including the foster child. How exactly does this happen? It is very simple; pets have bacteria and bugs that family members share to boost the immunity of your family members.
Research shows that children who grow up with pets like dogs have fewer chances of suffering from asthma. Similarly, dogs help with routine exercises when you take them for daily morning or evening walks.
Relieves stress
A pet can be a great companion to you and your family. In a way, this helps you to manage your stress or any anger issues that you may have. Think about foster children coming from challenging backgrounds; having pets could help them have a non-human companion that can help them calm down.
Do you want to know more?
Foster carers can have pets if they wish to have one. If are you interested in more specific information about your pet, please feel free to contact us to have a chat with you. Otherwise, you shouldn’t let your pet act as a blockade between you and a foster child who needs you out there.
