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

The children have been placed with a French foster family in Lisbon pending their return to France.

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

Meanwhile, the children, who are aged four and five, are with a French foster family in Lisbon and are expected to return to France.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

Since being rescued, K has moved in with a foster family, started attending college, begun receiving therapy, and been on holidays abroad.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 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

She’s too old for this—too old to wait around to be placed with another foster family.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline