foster care

American

noun

the raising or supervision of foster children, as orphans or delinquents, in an institution, group home, or private home, usually arranged through a government or social-service agency that provides remuneration for expenses.

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.

It also removed exemptions for veterans, young adults who aged out of foster care, and people experiencing homelessness.

From Slate • Apr. 19, 2026

She informed Flores that if she couldn’t find someone to take the children, the state would place them in the foster care system.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

Harker grew up in foster care, said Connie Sanchez, a foster mother who raised him during his high school years.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

Additionally, studio apartments will be available to provide temporary housing for the kids’ birth parents and transitional housing for teens aging out of foster care.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 19, 2026

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023