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 New Hampshire, foster care is regulated by the Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) under the Department of Health and Human Services. The state recognizes foster care as a temporary arrangement for children who cannot live with their biological families due to various challenges such as poverty, substance abuse, or mental illness. Prospective foster parents in New Hampshire are required to undergo training and receive support from social workers and other professionals throughout their time as foster caregivers. This support includes access to respite care and resources from local organizations and online groups. Foster parents play a crucial role in supporting the goal of reunification with biological families, which is a common outcome as more than half of the children in foster care are eventually returned to their birth parents. Foster parents are expected to facilitate visitations, attend court appearances, and be prepared for the possibility of a child leaving their care to return to their biological family or to be placed with another relative, always prioritizing the child's best interest.