foster family

American  

[fahs-ter fam-uh-lee, fam-lee] / ˈfɑs tər ˌfæm ə li, ˈfæm li /

noun

1. a family that provides legal guardianship and home care to a child awaiting long-term placement.

2. a family that provides a home and care for a pet awaiting adoption or for a wild animal that is orphaned or recovering from an injury.

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Example Sentences

"Elsa is a beautiful little girl, a raucous bundle of excitement and laughter," family court judge Carol Atkinson said this month, giving her foster family the green light to begin the process to adopt her.

From Barron's • Jan. 14, 2026

The teen, from Honduras and identified only as "Henry," was taken away from his foster family in Pensacola, Florida, "in handcuffs and leg irons," the Miami Herald reported.

From Salon • Jun. 12, 2025

Having lost both parents, nine-year-old Nancy and her sister now live with a foster family.

From BBC • May 22, 2025

But, citing an overall increase in costly litigation, Nonprofits Insurance Alliance of California, which says it backs roughly 90% of foster family agencies, will begin letting policies expire in October.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2024

His new foster family, the Finnegans, seemed nice enough if you only looked at the photos on the fireplace mantel—a mother, a father, and two kids of their own.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova