Foster Care

What Is Foster Care?

Foster care is a temporary arrangement in which children who cannot safely live with their biological families are placed in the care of licensed foster parents or relatives. The goal of foster care is to provide a safe, stable, and supportive environment while working toward reunification with the child’s family when possible or finding a permanent home through adoption or guardianship.

Foster parents play a critical role in supporting children during a difficult time in their lives by meeting their physical, emotional, and developmental needs. Foster care may also involve:

Counseling and therapy services to help children heal from trauma. Family support programs to aid biological parents in addressing issues that led to the child’s removal. Transition planning to prepare older foster youth for independent living.

What Is Not Foster Care?

Foster care is not a permanent solution. The ultimate goal is always to provide stability and work toward reunification or another permanent plan, such as adoption. It is not:

Babysitting or casual caregiving. Foster parents are trained caregivers who commit to providing full-time support for children in their care.

A profit-making venture. While foster parents receive stipends to cover the costs of caring for a child, fostering is not about financial gain.

The same as adoption. Foster care is a temporary arrangement, whereas adoption is a legal and lifelong commitment to a child.

A system for punishing parents. It exists to protect children and provide resources to families in crisis, not to punish parents.

Foster care is a complex but vital system designed to protect and uplift children during times of uncertainty and crisis. By understanding its purpose and limitations, we can better support children, foster parents, and biological families in achieving positive outcomes.

Types of Foster Care

Foster care comes in several forms to meet the diverse needs of children and families. Here are the primary types:

Traditional Foster Care

This is the most common type of foster care, where children are placed with licensed foster families on a temporary basis while efforts are made to reunify them with their biological families.

Purpose: Provide a safe, stable environment for children while their parents work to resolve issues.

Duration: Typically short- to medium-term.

Kinship Care

In kinship care, children are placed with relatives or close family friends instead of traditional foster families.

Purpose: Maintain family connections and cultural continuity.

Benefits: Children often feel more secure with familiar caregivers.

Respite Care

Respite care involves short-term foster placements to provide relief for full-time foster parents.

Purpose: Allow foster families time to rest and recharge.

Duration: Typically a few days or weeks.

Therapeutic Foster Care

This type of care is for children with significant emotional, behavioral, or medical needs. Foster parents receive specialized training to care for these children.

Purpose: Provide intensive support to children with trauma or special needs.

Features: Collaboration with therapists, doctors, and educators.

Emergency Foster Care

Emergency foster care is for children who must be removed from their homes immediately due to unsafe conditions.

Purpose: Provide a temporary safe haven during crises.

Duration: Often lasts only a few days until a longer-term placement is found.

Long-Term Foster Care

Long-Term Foster Care For children who cannot reunify with their families but are not candidates for adoption, long- term foster care offers stability and consistency.

Purpose: Provide a permanent foster home until the child ages out of the system or other arrangements are made.

Group Homes or Residential Care

Group Homes or Residential Care Some children, particularly older youth or those with complex needs, may live in group homes staffed by trained professionals.

Purpose: Offer structured care for children who may not thrive in traditional foster homes.

Focus: Education, therapy, and life-skills training.

Pre-Adoptive Foster Care

This type of care involves children placed with foster families who intend to adopt them.

Purpose: Transition children into permanent homes while finalizing adoption processes.