foster

Foster is a verb meaning to encourage the development or growth of someone or something. It can apply to ideas, relationships, or projects, as in “fostering innovation” or “fostering goodwill.” In social care contexts, “foster” also describes arrangements centered on providing temporary care for a child or animal, such as “foster child” or “foster family.”

Foster care refers to a system in which children who cannot safely be raised by their birth families are placed in the homes of trained caregivers who are not their legal parents. The aim is to ensure safety, support well-being, and maintain or establish permanent family placements, through reunification with the birth family, adoption, or guardianship. Foster parents undergo licensing, training, and ongoing support from child welfare authorities. Funding and stipends may be provided to cover the costs of care.

Fostering animals is a similar practice in which individuals provide temporary homes for shelter animals until permanent adoption occurs. Foster caregivers help with socialization, training, and care, increasing the animals’ chances of finding permanent homes.

Foster also functions as a surname and given name, and the term appears in the names of places and organizations in English-speaking countries. In encyclopedic use, “foster” is typically defined by the context in which it appears, with the child welfare and animal care senses being among the most common.