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 Washington State, foster care serves as a temporary protective service for children when their biological families are unable to care for them due to various challenges such as poverty, substance abuse, or mental illness. Foster parents in Washington are required to undergo training prior to taking children into their care and receive ongoing support from social workers and other professionals. They also have access to respite care and support networks, including local organizations and online groups. The primary goal of foster care in Washington is to reunify children with their biological parents whenever possible, and more than half of the children in foster care are eventually returned to their families. Foster parents are expected to actively support reunification efforts, which may include facilitating visitations and attending court hearings. They must also be prepared for the possibility of a child being returned to their birth parents or placed with other relatives if it is in the child's best interest. Washington State's foster care regulations are designed to prioritize the welfare and stability of the child, while also supporting the foster parents in their role.