February 10 - 12 and March 30 - April 1, 2020

Maddie's® Growing an Existing Foster Program Apprenticeship

Want to enhance your foster program to save more lives? Then the Maddie's® Growing an Existing Foster Program Apprenticeship is for you! Learn how to raise your placement numbers, implement strategic measures, and manage a robust foster program to increase lifesaving efforts in your community. This apprenticeship will teach you how to grow an already existing foster program, increase the capacity of an existing program, through effective assessment and implementation of various practices and policies. Attendees to this apprenticeship will learn how to grow and run an already existing comprehensive foster program.

Who Should Apply?
This apprenticeship opportunity is for shelter/rescue organization directors, staff and volunteers who are interested in learning how to be the most effective at implementing this type of program in their organization. Organizations with limited staff and financial resources are especially encouraged to apply, as the programs taught may actually reduce operating costs.

Background
Today in Austin 98% of dogs and 96% of cats that enter the shelter system have a live outcome. This is in large part due to the collaboration between the Austin municipal shelter, Austin Animal Center, and its largest rescue partner, Austin Pets Alive!. Both organizations utilize a large network of fosters to increase their capacity. The APA! foster programs utilize a network of over 80 volunteers to support the administration of the programs, which have over 1000 animals in foster homes at any given time. The AAC foster program has over 300 animals in foster at any given time as well. Both programs embody the idea that "people are the solution" and empower the foster caregivers to advocate for the dogs in their homes.

How Does it Work?
This apprenticeship is three days, plus travel. Interns will spend three days at Austin Pets Alive! and Austin Animal Center in Austin, Texas. Lessons include growing your foster program, recruitment and retention of serial foster families, building a support system, formulating data tracking methods, designing marketing and fundraising campaigns and everything else to help you grow your foster program.

Students will be guided through activities to:

  • Determine your foster population best fit to grow your program
  • Set goals and timelines based on objective data
  • Manage your data via a web based or other foster tracking system
  • Further processes, policies and procedures
  • Create widespread foster engagement
  • Recruit, train and retain foster families and a volunteer team to support them
  • Maximize placement of large adult dogs in foster and adoptive homes

Stipend
Stipends vary based on distance from Austin and length of apprenticeship. Applicants who are accepted into an apprenticeship program will receive detailed stipend information in their acceptance email. Please reach out to education@americanpetsalive.org with any questions.

All of the apprenticeships and master classes offered at Maddie's® Lifesaving Academy are pre-approved for continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement - Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA).

Before you apply, please review our grant requirements. To apply to attend a Maddie's® Apprenticeship Program, your organization must be a U.S. based 501c3 or government animal welfare organization, and you must submit a completed application. The grant requirements about sharing your annual animal statistics and lifesaving percentage on your website, participating in Shelter Animals Count and Million Cat Challenge and being current on your grant reporting are all highly encouraged but not required.

Applications November 11 - 22, 2019 - Application Closed

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