Ask the Experts

Megan Maciel

KVC KANSAS KVC Kansas provides heart-centered services to children and families through in-home family support, foster care, adoption, behavioral health care and children’s psychiatric hospitals. 913.499.8100, Kansas.kvc.org

Ashley Flores, CPDT-KC

GREAT PLAINS SPCA Great Plains SPCA is one of the largest no-kill animal shelters in the Kansas City area, serving Johnson County, KS, and Kansas and the surrounding area. 913.831.7722, GreatPlainsSPCA.org

Q

What age children have the highest need for foster care?

We have the greatest need to find foster families for children ages 8 and up and groups of siblings. Many families request to foster younger children; however, a majority of children in care are school age, and it can be challenging to find placement. Sometimes foster parents can be reluctant to parent older children, however KVC is committed to giving needed support to parent any age child by providing training opportunities, a Family Support Worker and access to community supports. There is an especially high need to provide foster homes for teens, and oftentimes foster parents can mentor these teens as they transition back into their birth parents’ care, or as they move out of the foster care system. Megan Maciel

Director of Recruitment and Communication KVC Kansas

Q

My dog has not been around many children, and I am now expecting. How do I prepare my dog for our new baby?

Start refreshing or training your dog on the basics such as “sit,” “wait,” and “no jumping.” The “leave it” command is also a good one to utilize when your dog and new baby are first getting to know each other. Familiarize your dog with the baby gear and strollers. Take the dog for a walk with the stroller prior to the baby’s arrival and have the dog spend some time in the baby’s room so everything is not new all at once. Create a safe space where your dog can go if he feels overwhelmed and never leave your baby unsupervised with your dog. Ashley Flores

Great Plains SPCA

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