Description:
Foster care is 24-hour care provided by licensed foster parents for children who cannot live with their parents because they are unsafe, have special care or treatment needs, or other circumstances exist where parents or family are unable to care for them.
Generally, placement in foster care is temporary and intended to give the child's family time to make necessary changes so that the child can live safely in his or her home and community. Most children in foster care return home to their families. When children cannot return home, they find permanence through placement with relatives, adoption, or other means.