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 Maryland, foster care is a system designed to provide a temporary safe haven for children who cannot live with their biological families due to various challenges such as poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, and other factors. Maryland's Department of Human Services, through its Social Services Administration, oversees the foster care program, ensuring that foster parents are adequately trained and supported. Foster parents in Maryland receive preparation before taking children into their care and ongoing support from social workers and professionals. They also have access to respite care and support networks, including community organizations and online groups. The primary goal of foster care in Maryland is to reunify children with their biological families whenever possible, and foster parents play a crucial role in this process by facilitating visitations, attending court hearings, and supporting the child's transition back to their biological family or to another relative if that is deemed in the child's best interest. However, when reunification is not possible, foster care can also be a pathway to adoption. Maryland state statutes and regulations provide the legal framework for the operation of the foster care system, including the rights and responsibilities of foster parents, the process for becoming a foster parent, and the standards for the care of foster children.