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
Despite that preference policy, kinship foster parents are not guaranteed a voice in court proceedings that will shape their family for decades.
—Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
The foster parents, Marcelino and Rosa Olguin, entered into plea agreements with prosecutors in September 2024.
—Stephanie Kaloi, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
The foster parents who took in six of the Turpin children pleaded guilty to child endangerment and false imprisonment in 2024.
—ABC News, 3 Feb. 2026
He was later put with foster parents in Heidelberg because there was no one there.
—Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foster parent
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Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
The foster parents, Marcelino and Rosa Olguin, entered into plea agreements with prosecutors in September 2024.
—Stephanie Kaloi, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
The foster parents who took in six of the Turpin children pleaded guilty to child endangerment and false imprisonment in 2024.
—ABC News, 3 Feb. 2026
He was later put with foster parents in Heidelberg because there was no one there.
—Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
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 14 Feb. 2026.
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