Can I foster if I have pets?

Having a pet does not automatically prevent you from fostering. The important issue is whether your animals, your home and your household arrangements can provide a safe environment for a child or young person. This is considered as part of the fostering assessment and revisited when a potential placement is discussed.

Different animals can raise different considerations. A dog’s size, breed, energy levels, training and response to unfamiliar people may be relevant. With cats, the assessment may focus on whether they are likely to scratch, bite, become distressed or avoid children. Birds, reptiles, rabbits, rodents, horses and other animals may also be considered, particularly where children could access cages, food, equipment, stables or outdoor areas.

The fostering assessment is not simply about whether an animal is friendly. It should consider the circumstances in which a pet behaves differently, such as when it is eating, sleeping, frightened, ill or protecting toys or territory. The assessor may ask about previous incidents, obedience or handling, visitors to the home, and how you would respond if a child and an animal were unsettled by one another.

Your home arrangements will also matter. Practical safeguards may include:

• keeping pets and children supervised when they are together, particularly at the beginning of a placement;
• providing the animal with a separate, secure area where it can retreat undisturbed;
• keeping food, treats, medicines, litter, cages, leads and cleaning products safely stored;
• teaching children not to disturb an animal while it is eating, sleeping or hiding;
• using suitable barriers or closed doors where supervision is not possible; and
• maintaining appropriate cleaning, grooming, vaccination and veterinary care arrangements.

Children entering foster care may have limited experience of animals, may be anxious around them or may behave unpredictably because of their past experiences. Others may be very attached to pets and seek more contact than is safe. Allergies, phobias, cultural considerations, previous harm involving animals and a child’s developmental understanding should all be taken into account before a placement is agreed.

Some placements may therefore require specific boundaries. For example, a child might need their bedroom or play area to remain pet-free, or contact with an animal might need to be introduced gradually. A young person may be unable to live safely with a particular type of pet, even if another placement involving the same household could be appropriate. Foster carers should never assume that a child can manage an animal safely without guidance.

You should be open about every animal living in or regularly visiting your home, including pets kept outdoors. Explain how you care for them, where they sleep, how they respond to children and what happens when you are away. If an animal has shown aggression, caused an injury or has a medical or behavioural condition, disclose this during the assessment rather than trying to manage it privately.

Before approval, you can ask how pet-related risks are assessed, what information is needed from a vet or other professional, and how animal-related issues are recorded in your household safer-care arrangements. Training and guidance should help you understand supervision, boundaries, safeguarding and what to do if a child or pet becomes distressed. If circumstances change, such as taking on a new animal or a pet developing a serious health or behavioural problem, tell your fostering agency so the arrangements can be reviewed.

The final decision will depend on the individual animals and the needs of the child being considered. In some cases, careful household rules are enough; in others, a placement may not be suitable unless contact with a pet can be reliably restricted. The aim is to protect the child and the animal while ensuring that any fostering arrangement is realistic for everyone in the household.