Foster care (also known as out-of-home care) is a temporary service provided by each state for children who cannot live with their families. Children in foster care may live with relatives or with unrelated foster parents. Foster care can also refer to placement settings such as group homes, residential care facilities, emergency shelters, and supervised independent living.

In Hawaii, foster care is managed by the Department of Human Services (DHS), specifically through its Child Welfare Services (CWS) division. The purpose of foster care in Hawaii is to provide a safe, nurturing temporary environment for children who are unable to live with their families due to abuse, neglect, or other serious family problems. Children in foster care may be placed with relatives, known as kinship care, or with licensed foster parents. There are also alternative placements such as group homes, residential care facilities, emergency shelters, and supervised independent living programs for older youth. The state's goal is to work towards family reunification whenever possible, or to find another permanent solution such as adoption or guardianship if reunification is not safe or possible. Hawaii's foster care system operates under state statutes and is also subject to federal laws such as the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) and the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act, which guide foster care practices and aim to improve outcomes for children in the system.