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 Mexico (NM), foster care is regulated by the state to provide a safe, temporary living situation for children who cannot live with their biological families due to various reasons such as poverty, substance abuse, or mental illness. The New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD) oversees the foster care system and ensures that foster parents receive the necessary training and support to care for foster children. Foster parents in NM are expected to assist in reunification efforts with the child's birth parents when it is deemed in the child's best interest. This support includes facilitating visitations and attending court appearances. While foster care is often a temporary solution, foster parents must be prepared for the possibility of a child being reunified with their birth family or placed with another relative. The state provides resources such as respite care programs and support from social workers, as well as connections to local organizations and online support groups to aid foster parents in their role.