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 Idaho, foster care is managed by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, which oversees the placement and care of children who cannot safely live with their families. Children in foster care may be placed with relatives, known as kinship care, or with licensed foster parents. The state also utilizes other placement options such as group homes, residential care facilities, emergency shelters, and supervised independent living for older youth. The goal of foster care in Idaho is to provide a safe, stable, and nurturing environment for children while working towards family reunification, adoption, or other permanent living arrangements. Idaho state statutes and federal laws, including the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) and the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act, guide the foster care system to ensure the safety, permanency, and well-being of children in out-of-home care.