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 North Dakota, foster care is a system designed to provide a safe, temporary living situation for children who cannot remain in their family home due to safety concerns, abuse, neglect, or other family crises. The North Dakota Department of Human Services (DHS) oversees the foster care program, working with county social service offices to license foster parents and place children in appropriate foster homes. Foster care placements can include living with relatives (kinship care), non-relative foster families, group homes, residential care facilities, emergency shelters, or supervised independent living for older adolescents. The goal of foster care in North Dakota is to provide a nurturing environment while working towards a more permanent solution, which may include reunification with the child's family, adoption, or, for older youth, transition to independent living. The state statutes governing foster care are found in the North Dakota Century Code (NDCC), which outlines the rights, responsibilities, and procedures for the foster care system.