Foster Care

Foster care is the temporary system that places children who cannot safely stay at home with relatives, licensed foster parents, or group settings. State and county child welfare agencies run it, courts oversee each case, and federal law provides funding and sets goals for safety and permanency. The aim is usually to return children home or find another permanent family.

People usually bring questions about how children enter care, how to become a foster parent, and what support exists for foster families and for youth. They also ask how Head Start and other services reach foster children, what happens when a child cannot return home, and how foster care connects to adoption.