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
Timothy Roche Foster parents adopt children in Ventura County [California] more often than relatives do. —Stephanie Hoops
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
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
The Tuscaloosa (Alabama) NewsTom 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
Massachusetts WildlifeExamples of foster parent in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2018, the Drummonds welcomed a new member to their family when Ree and Ladd became foster parents to Jamar Goff.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
The kids eventually were turned over to an orphanage run by their church and experienced abuse at the hands of foster parents, court records say.
—Kirsten Fiscus, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
Hill and other adoptive parents and foster parents routinely compare notes in social media chat groups about difficulties getting care for their children.
—Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Dec. 2025
Lewis was following a nutritionists' advice, lawyer said Lewis has been a foster parent since 2007, according to her attorney Allison Cox.
—Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foster parent
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Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
The kids eventually were turned over to an orphanage run by their church and experienced abuse at the hands of foster parents, court records say.
—Kirsten Fiscus, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
Hill and other adoptive parents and foster parents routinely compare notes in social media chat groups about difficulties getting care for their children.
—Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Dec. 2025
Lewis was following a nutritionists' advice, lawyer said Lewis has been a foster parent since 2007, according to her attorney Allison Cox.
—Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foster parent
Cite this Entry
“Foster parent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foster%20parent. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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