foster family

American

[fahs-ter fam-uh-lee, fam-lee] / ˈfɑs tər ˌfæm ə li, ˈfæm li /

noun

a family that provides legal guardianship and home care to a child awaiting long-term placement.
a family that provides a home and care for a pet awaiting adoption or for a wild animal that is orphaned or recovering from an injury.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His new foster family, the Finnegans, seemed nice enough if you only looked at the photos on the fireplace mantel—a mother, a father, and two kids of their own.

From Literature

His foster family described him as "the sweetest, kindest boy who put others before himself."

From BBC

“We’ve never been a foster family before, so this is all new.”

From Literature

Since being rescued, K is now living with a foster family, attending college and has been on holidays abroad.

From BBC

"Elsa is a beautiful little girl, a raucous bundle of excitement and laughter," family court judge Carol Atkinson said this month, giving her foster family the green light to begin the process to adopt her.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023