Foster care is a protective service to children and their families when families can no longer care for their children. There are many reasons and circumstances that make it difficult for biological families to meet the needs of their children—including poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, homelessness, teen pregnancy, loss of a job, or lack of support from extended family. Unlike birth parents, foster parents receive training before they welcome children into their home, and support from social workers and other professionals throughout the process. Foster parents often also have access to respite care programs, and find support through local organizations, such as churches, and online support groups.

Traditionally, the foster parent’s role was seen as a temporary one—and even today more than half of children who enter foster care are reunified with their birth parents. Foster parents are frequently asked to support these reunification efforts—including facilitating visitations and attending court appearances—and must always be prepared to accept the loss of a child who returns to birth parents or is placed with another relative when that is found to be in the child’s best interest.

In Georgia, foster care is administered by the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) under the Department of Human Services. It serves as a temporary arrangement for children who cannot safely remain with their biological families due to various issues such as poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, or other crises. Prospective foster parents in Georgia are required to complete a pre-service training program called IMPACT (Initial Interest, Mutual Selection, Pre-Service Training, Assessment, Continuing Development, and Teamwork) and undergo a home evaluation. They receive ongoing support from social workers and may have access to respite care and support networks. Foster parents play a supportive role in the child's life and are often involved in efforts to reunify the child with their biological family, which is a primary goal of the foster care system. They must be prepared for the possibility that the child may either return to their birth parents, be adopted, or placed with other relatives if it is in the child's best interest. The legal framework governing foster care in Georgia is designed to prioritize the welfare and stability of the child, with foster care being a temporary solution aimed at providing a safe and nurturing environment until a more permanent arrangement can be made.