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

See Examples For:

foster family

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

From Barron's ● May 23, 2026

After spending three months in Hanawon, a dedicated settlement support centre in the capital, Geumseong, then 15, was placed with a foster family and started school.

From BBC ● Mar. 27, 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

A 2-month-old black bear cub recently rescued from the woods is now being raised by a new, faux fuzzy foster family: humans dressed as bears at the San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2025

We ate breakfast every morning and dinner every night, and we even went camping with our foster family once or twice.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles