Kids With A Cause
The first priority of our shelter is to empower the community to protect animals in need there is no better way to instill these values than through children. Their hearts are instantly filled with love for companion animals and a desire to learn to love and protect them. This is why SACC has started the Kids With A Cause program, a collaboration between the Volunteer and Foster programs at the shelter.
Kids With A Cause is for ages 5-16 and allows children who are interested in shelter work and who have a deep love for animals (though they would not be able to volunteer without busy parents in the shelter) to do the work that speaks to their hearts. This is the way we build a better future for companion animals. Children come to the shelter for pick up, attend foster re-check appointments, they are allowed to be hands-on in re-checks and a log is provided for parents to track the hours devoted and tasks children are completing for fosters in the home. All hours tracked are eligible for community service hours for school and community organizations like Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and 4-H.
We believe there is no better way for kids to prove to parents they are ready for pets than to prove their commitment with fosters.
Foster animals who are well-socialized and comfortable with children have faster adoptions and less likelihood of shelter return due to issues with children in the home.
Kids With A Cause pairs children who want to learn more about animals and community service with animals in need, offering a positive experience for both.
Kids With A Cause is not limited to a single foster program, but there are some limitations. We will not send behavior cases home in this program or animals with severe medical needs. We want to ensure kids are set up for early success to the best of our ability.
If a family wishes to return a foster to transfer to another foster family, we definitely understand. Some families may find their children are not quite ready. The shelter will immediately re-intake these animals after coordination with the Foster Coordinator. All community service hours obtatined will still count toward their goals even if foster is not completed.
Documenting your child with the foster pet on routine basis with photos and videos is hugely beneficial for the adoption process. Children will also be given special forms to submit at the end of foster about their foster journey and their special friend/s. This can be completed independently or with parent help.