foster parent

noun

plural foster parents
1
: a person temporarily serving as a parent for a child who has lost or been removed from a parent's care and who is not the person's own biological child
specifically, US : such a person who has been trained and approved by a government or social-service agency
Many foster parents … continue to act selflessly as important way stations for at-risk kids while their biological parents get their lives together. Timothy Roche
Foster parents adopt children in Ventura County [California] more often than relatives do. Stephanie Hoops
2
a
: a person temporarily caring for an animal (such as one that is injured or awaiting adoption)
The 36-year-old Owosso [Michigan] native became a foster parent to dogs through the shelter five years ago.Anamaria Dickerson
b
: an animal caring for an unrelated offspring
Cowbirds deposit their eggs in the nests of other birds, and unknowing foster parents raise baby cowbirds along with their own young.The Tuscaloosa (Alabama) News
Tom hoped the little eaglet could be placed into an active nest, adopted and raised by wild foster parents, and could ultimately fly free.Massachusetts Wildlife

Examples of foster parent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Prosecutor Tracy Prior, chief of the district attorney’s Family Protection Division, said the office has long worked with Olive Crest, which provides help from toy drives to lining up foster parents. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2025 Curiously, given this flurry of legislative protections, lawmakers haven’t yet gotten around to protecting C.C. C.C’s mother was addicted to drugs, a fact that apparently did not stop the Florida Department of Children and Families from licensing her as a foster parent. Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2025 Improvements touted by the county include bolstering the vetting of foster parents and probation staffers and winding down the use of group homes like MacLaren Children’s Center. Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2025 Becoming a foster parent often involves quick preparation. Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for foster parent

Word History

First Known Use

1649, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of foster parent was in 1649

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Cite this Entry

“Foster parent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foster%20parent. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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