Reviewed July 2026 · U.S. scope
What is the issue?
Foster care is temporary out-of-home care used when a child cannot safely remain with a parent or caregiver. Depending on the jurisdiction and the child’s needs, placement may be with relatives, family friends, licensed foster families, or residential settings.
Why does it matter?
Separation is consequential even when necessary for safety. Children need stability, relationships, education continuity, health care, cultural connection, and a path toward safe permanency.
What does current evidence say?
Federal guidance describes child welfare as a continuum that includes prevention, child protection, in-home support, temporary out-of-home care, reunification, and other permanency options. When children enter care, safe reunification is generally the first priority; kinship care is preferred when appropriate because it can preserve family and cultural connections. AFCARS is the federal case-level data system used to describe children in foster care and adoption.
Sources
- How the Child Welfare System Works (2025)External site
- AFCARS foster-care dataExternal site
- Find your state foster-care contactExternal site
Source links are provided so readers can inspect the underlying publication or dataset. Summaries are educational and do not represent a government agency or an advocacy position.