Adoptions & foster
Foster portal
The foster portal is a lightweight, password-free web app your foster families use to view their animals, log updates, and respond to check-ins. Here's how to configure it and what fosters experience.
Configure the portal
Go to Settings > Foster portal. All settings here apply to every foster family in your rescue.
| Field | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome message | text | Shown to fosters when they log into the portal. Use it to greet them, set expectations, or include a quick-start tip. Supports plain text. |
| Handbook / resource link | URL | Link to your foster handbook (Google Doc, PDF, Notion page, etc.). A 'View handbook' button appears on the portal home screen. |
| Default check-in interval (days) | number | How often Fosterling sends automatic check-in reminders to fosters. Default is 7 days. Set to 0 to disable automated reminders. |
| Send SMS check-in nudges | checkbox | Send check-in reminders via SMS in addition to email. Stays disabled until text messaging is configured in Settings > Connected services. |
How fosters access the portal
Fosters receive a magic link by email each time:
- You place an animal with them (placement confirmation email)
- A check-in reminder is sent
- You manually send them a portal link from the placement's detail page
Clicking the link logs them in automatically -- no account or password needed. If a link has expired by the time they click it, send a fresh one from the placement's detail page.
Resending a portal link
- 1Open the specific placement -- from the animal's record or the Foster Matchmaker tab -- and go to the placement's detail page.
- 2Click Send portal link. The foster receives an email with a fresh magic link within seconds.
What fosters can do in the portal
The portal covers a lot more ground than just viewing an animal. Fosters can:
- View their currently placed animals with photos and basic info
- Log check-in updates (weight, health notes, behavioral observations)
- Upload photos of the animal
- Read notes and updates your team posts for them
- Access the handbook link
- Message your team directly, two-way
- Submit expense reimbursement requests with receipt uploads
- Connect a bank account to get reimbursements paid out directly
- Request supplies (food, crates, medication, etc.)
- Request respite or backup coverage when they need a break
- Submit a quick photo and a couple sentences that AI turns into a draft weekly update for your team to review and post
- Sign a foster care agreement
Fosters cannot edit core animal data (species, microchip, breed), see other fosters' animals, or view the animal's medical history.
Viewing foster updates in the app
When a foster logs a check-in or uploads a photo, it appears immediately in the animal's History tab (with a "Foster" badge) and Notes tab. Your team is notified by email for any check-in that includes a health concern.
- Can fosters see other animals in my rescue, not just their own?
- No. The portal is scoped to their active placement only. They can't browse your full animal list.
- Can I control which notes fosters can see?
- Not currently -- there's no selective note-sharing control. Notes you add for a foster's placement are visible to them in the portal.
- What language is the portal available in?
- English only currently. Multi-language support is on our roadmap.
- Can a foster have multiple animals at once?
- Yes -- if you place multiple animals with the same foster home, all of them appear in the portal.
- The foster says they didn't get the email. What should I do?
- First, ask them to check spam. Then resend from the placement's detail page (Send portal link). If it still doesn't arrive, double-check you have the right email on file for that foster, and contact support if the problem continues.