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
The big guy well outweighs his foster parents, who average around 11 kgs or 24 pounds, and eats about double what an adult king penguin does in a day.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 23 Sep. 2024
Alternative Family Services, the agency that supported the children in the home, had to pay about $15 million, and the foster parents were responsible for the rest.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2024
That paves the way for Elijah to move in with a foster parent — in this case, a retired schoolteacher in the Traverse City area who came forward this week and offered to take him in.
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 11 Sep. 2024
After weaning her puppies, Noel moved to a long-term foster home with a foster parent dedicated to building her confidence and then moved to a new foster home with a similar setup in April 2023.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 2 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for foster parent 
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 23 Sep. 2024
Alternative Family Services, the agency that supported the children in the home, had to pay about $15 million, and the foster parents were responsible for the rest.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2024
That paves the way for Elijah to move in with a foster parent — in this case, a retired schoolteacher in the Traverse City area who came forward this week and offered to take him in.
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 11 Sep. 2024
After weaning her puppies, Noel moved to a long-term foster home with a foster parent dedicated to building her confidence and then moved to a new foster home with a similar setup in April 2023.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 2 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for foster parent
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foster parent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Foster parent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foster%20parent. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.
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