An introduction to the benefits of sharing adopted pets with adopted children and families. Therapeutic interventions assist with improved bonding, self esteem, and positive attachment.

1. AFCA
Adopted/ Foster
Children & Animals
Animal-Assisted
Social Work
By: Rose R. K. Smith

2. Mission Statement
AFCA is a non-profit
organization who pairs
successfully adopted
animals with families and
children of the foster and
adoption care system.

4. Goal of AFCA
Bridge existing resources for children and
families of the adoption and foster care
system with resources
AAT approved volunteers from community
facilitate and assist adoptive/ foster
children and families with a least harm
transition
Mental health providers and parents
engaged with treatment and outcome

5. Design
• Collaboration of school social workers and psychologists,
child care workers, and other family support
• Connect local county and state Mental Health
multidisciplinary teams
• Animal adoptions approved by Delta Society and other AAT
programs and volunteers CBI verified
• Primary Care Physicians/Nurse Practitioners will use
screening tools and referral sources for children
• State and Federal support from the adoption and foster
care

6. Purpose
 To ensure children of adoptive and foster
care safety, protective, and nurturing
environments
 Assist children and families with
attachment, positive behavior, & creativity
 Create a transitional space where the child
and family are needed to actively participate
in supportive services

7. Cost benefit
Aurora Mental Health
Early Childhood and Family Center
 Utilize existing support programs- Project
BLOOM for young children and families of
adoptive and foster care
 Denver Dumb Friend League
 Colorado Humane Society animal
walking/petting program
 Delta Society, HABIC & AAT approved
animals

8. Organizational Structure of AFCA
• Elected volunteer • Community
board (every 3 volunteers
years) of
multidisciplinary
mental health, • Delta Society
physicians, CFO,
and community • AASW program at
members DU interns
• Paid positions
(Operations • UCHSC interns
Management,
Community MSW
Liaisons, Executive • Aurora Mental
Dir., office staff) Health and
coalitions

9. Services of Aurora Mental Health
• Home visitation and family,
community programs have
mental health resources,
education, and support for
young children
• Services and supports are
accessible, culturally, and
linguistically competent
• Families are equal partners
in a supportive and
collaborative service
delivery process
• Community will use formal
and informal agreements to
support collaboration and
accountability
(AMH, 2005) Photo courtesy of J. M.

10. AMH Established Relationships
Arapahoe County Early Childhood
County
Arapahoe Department of Human
Services-TANF
Arapahoe Department of Humans
Services-Child Protection
Adams Department of Human Services
Aurora Public Schools
Developmental Pathways
Tri-County Health
Early Childhood Connections
Family Members/Parent Youth
Children’s World
Cherry Creek Public Schools
Arapahoe County CASA
(Court Appointed Special Advocate)
Head Start/Early Head Start

11. Population:
Early Childhood & Families
• 0-6 year old adopted/ foster children and
families
• Animal assisted therapy available
through collaboration of mental health,
community organizations, and AFCA
• Each AAT experience is case sensitive
and carefully monitored by
multidisciplinary teams

12. Keys to a Successful
Program
 Appropriate selection
of species for
client(s)
 AAT approved animal
care
 Structured and
flexible animal time
with clients
 Sensitivity and
trained alertness of
stress and warning
signs for animals and
clients

13. Critical Considerations
 Animal handler and therapists need to know and act upon
animal and client signs of stress
 Be sure animal has a safe zone with fresh water to retreat
 Animal finds the interaction a pleasurable experience
 Animal has plenty of sleep (16-18 hours) and plenty of play
time
 Limited therapeutic time frame 1 hour per day
(HABIC, 2005)

14. Family participation with entire process

15. Need for AAT with adopted/ foster
children and families
Families Children
 Establish attachment  Assurance of physical
with children and emotional safety
 Awareness of habits  Experience
and responses unconditional love from
another living creature
 Awareness of
destructive parental  Improved self esteem
behavior
 Understanding limits
 Provide parents with set by trustworthy
possibilities for change adults

16. Photo courtesy of J. Fitchett, MSW, AASW

17. Animal-assisted therapy and
child development
 Preschool children’s human-animal
bond is directly related to empathy
for humans
 AAT significantly increases
communication between children of
neglect and abuse with their social
worker and psychologist

18. Human-animal bond can be
participating in relationships…

19. …or observing animal behavior

20. Attachment
Relational bond is the attachment
which caregivers convey availability
and caring;
• Responsiveness to attune selves to the
children’s affects and behaviors
• Sensitively attend to the physical and
emotional needs
• Emotional well-being and sense of
security.
(Timberlake & Cutler, 2001)

21. Emotions of adopted and
foster children
• Coping with sadness
• Anger
• Abandonment
• Grief and emptiness
• Neglect
• Physical, emotional,
and sexual abuse
• Feel responsible for
placement and loss
• Intense shame and
guilt
(Timberlake & Cutler, 2001)

22. Attachment problems, loss,
and separation from home
• Losses become
truncated
• Defensive
attachment
• Acting out
• Harmful to self,
animals, and others
(Timberlake & Cutler, 2001)

23. Animals help with…
• Insight
• Trusting
• Making &
maintaining basic
human connections
• Verbalizing feelings
• Regulating affect
(Timberlake & Cutler, 2001)

24. Psychosocial benefits with
children and families
• Attachment is the strongest and
most beneficial with mental health
when an animal is involved (Fine, 2000)
• Family morale is raised (Fine, 2000)
• Over 70% of families in the US
have an animal at home

25. Cognitive benefits of AAT
 Reading improves with an animal
present – R.E.A.D. program (Jalango, Astorino &
Bomboy, 2004)
 Social skills increase with peers
 Identify disabling patterns and move
them out to reframe new experiences
 Create new patterns
 Increased degree of creative and
imaginary expression
(Levine & Levine, 2000)

26. Common threads of adoption/fostering
Children & Animals
 In need of a safe and secure home
 Need consistent nurturing of emotional,
physical, and social support
 Regular sleep (children 8-12 hours, dogs
12-15 hours daily)
 Good nutrition and exercise

28. Termination / Rites of Passage
• Openly discuss termination
• Termination should be case unique and handled
delicately
• Offer client choices to create rite(s) of passage
together with therapist: drawing, photos, painting,
craft, letters, crayon, etc.
• Client terminated with a positive experience with
trustworthy adults

29. Families Track & AASW
University of Denver
Graduate School of Social Work
Families track provides
students with knowledge
and skills to work from a
systems perspective with
a wide variety of clients.
This includes individuals,
couples, families, peer
groups, work associates,
school classmates, and
organizations. Clients are
viewed in the larger
context of religion, race,
class, gender, sexual
Photo courtesy of B. Frontella family
orientation, national
origin, age, etc..
(GSSW, 2005)

30. Relationships with the
whole family
 Children
Adolescents
 Families
 Adults
 Elderly

31. References
Delta Society. (1996). Standards of practice, Delta Society, 289 Perimeter
Road East. Renton, WA 98055-1329.
Fine, A. (Ed.) (2000) Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: Theoretical
foundations and guidelines for practice. San Diego, CA: Academic
Press.
Jalango, Mary Renck, Astorino, Terri, & Bomboy, Nancy. (Aug 2004).
Canine visitors: The influence of therapy dogs on young children's
learning and well-being in classrooms and hospitals. Netherlands:
Kluwer Academic Publishers. vol. 32(1). 9-16.
Reichert, Elisabeth, LCSW, PhD. (June 1998). Individual counseling for
sexually abused children: a role for animals and storytelling. Human
Sciences Press: Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, vol. 15(3).
177-185.
University of Denver, Tedeschi, Phil, MSSW, LCSW. (2005). Master of
Social Work course: Integration of animals into therapeutic settings. in
class notes July 22, 23, 29 & 30).
Zoltán, Kovács. (2004). Animal-assisted therapy for middle aged
schizophrenic patients living in a social institution, a pilot study. APA:
Clinical Rehabilitation. vol.18. 483-486.

32. AFCA
Adopted/ Foster
Children & Animals
Hendel
Rose R. K. Smith
Tel: (303) 907-8853
Email:Rksmith@du.edu
Website:
http://portfolio.du.edu/rksmith