Foster matching

Before you match: add foster families

Foster families need to be in your system before you can place animals with them. To add a foster home:

1. 1
   Go to Adoptions (under the Animals section in the left nav), open the Foster Matchmaker tab, and click Add foster home in the page header. It sits above the sub-tabs, so it works from whichever one you're on -- it drops you on Foster roster with the form open.
2. 2
   Fill in their name, contact info, address, and home type (apartment, house, yard, etc.).
3. 3
   Set their preferences: species they can take, max number of animals, and any restrictions (no dogs over 40 lbs, cats only, etc.).
4. 4
   Click Save. The foster home is now available for placement.

Matching an animal to a foster

Matching happens from the Foster Matchmaker tab, inside Adoptions. It has four sub-tabs: Match an animal (start from a pet that needs a foster and browse candidate homes), Match a foster (start from a household instead and see which pets suit it), Foster roster (every foster home on file), and Pending requests (placement invitations sent but not yet answered).

1. 1
   Go to Adoptions and open the Foster Matchmaker tab.
2. 2
   Pick the animal that needs a foster. A panel shows available homes filtered to those that match the animal's species.
3. 3
   Review the list. Each card shows: name, current capacity, species preferences, home type, and distance from your rescue (if addresses are on file).
4. 4
   Pick how you want to place them. Click Send request to email the foster an accept/decline link -- the placement isn't confirmed until they respond. Or click Add placement to create the placement immediately in-app, no email involved.

Sent-but-not-yet-answered requests sit in the Pending requests tab until the foster accepts or declines.

Check-ins and updates

Once an animal is placed, Fosterling can automatically send the foster family check-in reminders. Configure this in Settings > Foster portal > Check-in interval.

Fosters respond through their portal or via SMS (if you have SMS check-ins enabled). Their responses appear in the animal's History tab as check-in entries.

Check-ins are foster-submitted only -- there's no way to log one from your side. If a foster is overdue, message them directly or clear the attention flag once you've followed up.

The Fostering hub -- managing placements already underway

Once an animal is placed, day-to-day management moves to Fostering in the left nav -- a separate hub from Adoptions for animals already in foster. It has four tabs: Active placements, Check-ins, Supply requests, and Respite coverage. Click any placement row to open its detail page, with its own tabs for Overview, Check-ins, Messages, Supplies, and Updates.

Active placements has two views. Active lists animals currently in foster plus any placement whose animal has already left care (adopted, transferred, etc.) but hasn't been filed away yet -- those show a Still open flag so nothing slips through. Archived holds placements you've closed out. Use Archive on a placement (or Archive all ended for a batch) to move it out of the working list; Unarchive brings it back if you archived by mistake.

Ending a placement

When a foster placement ends:

1. 1
   Go to Fostering > Active placements and click the placement you want to close, or open it from the animal's record.
2. 2
   On the placement's detail page, click End placement.
3. 3
   Optionally set what happens to the animal next: Adopted, Available for adoption, Needs another foster, Medical hold, or Stayed with this foster. Leaving it on — don't change — ends the placement without touching the animal's status — useful when the animal is on a medical hold or has an adoption pending and you don't want ending the placement to move it. You can also add a note to the foster.
4. 4
   Set the end date and click Confirm. The foster home's capacity opens back up and the placement is logged in the animal's history. It's still listed under Active placements (as "Ended") until you archive it.

Foster home capacity tracking

The Foster Matchmaker tab shows a capacity bar for each home -- how many animals they currently have vs. their maximum. Homes at capacity show "Full" and are filtered out of the placement panel by default.

To override capacity (place an animal with a full home), click Show all homes in the placement panel filter. Homes over capacity show a warning, but you can still confirm the placement.

Foster history

Every placement is logged on both the animal's record and the foster home's record, including start date, end date, reason for ending, and any notes. This history is never deleted -- even after an animal is adopted you can see their full foster history.

A few more things Foster Matchmaker can do

• AI match insights -- click Analyze matches on an animal to get AI-ranked foster suggestions with reasoning (Rescue plan and up)
• Foster-to-adopt -- flag a placement as a trial with adoption intent
• Foster care agreements -- send an e-signed agreement alongside a placement
• Respite & backup coverage -- a foster can request short-term backup coverage when they need a break

Can I place multiple animals with the same foster home at once?

Yes, as long as the home has remaining capacity. Each animal gets its own placement record.

How does the foster family access their portal?

When you place an animal with them, they receive an email with a magic link to the foster portal. No password needed. You can resend the link from the placement's detail page.

Can fosters log their own notes and updates?

Yes, if you have the foster portal enabled. Their updates appear in the animal's History tab and Notes tab with a 'Foster' badge.

What happens to the foster home's record when all their animals are placed elsewhere?

The foster home remains in your system with a status of 'Available'. Their history is preserved. They'll show up next time you search for available homes.

Can I see all animals a particular foster home has ever had?

Yes -- open the foster home's record and click the History tab. Every placement is listed with dates and outcomes.