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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.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

She started living with a foster family, but within two years moved into a children's home in Hertfordshire where she stayed until just before her 18th birthday.

From BBC Jun. 4, 2026

She said she was "so grateful" that Kol had "found some peace" with his "incredible" foster family.

From BBC May 11, 2026

"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

While she was in foster care, Justice lived in one end of a double-wide trailer, with the foster family on the other end.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

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