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 Wisconsin, foster care is a system designed to provide a temporary safe haven for children whose biological families are unable to care for them due to various challenges such as poverty, substance abuse, or mental illness. The state ensures that foster parents are trained and supported throughout their role in caring for foster children. This includes ongoing support from social workers, access to respite care, and resources from community organizations. Foster care in Wisconsin is intended to be a temporary arrangement, with a primary goal of reunifying children with their biological families whenever possible. Foster parents are expected to actively support reunification efforts, which may involve facilitating visitations with biological parents and attending court hearings. They must also be prepared for the possibility that a child in their care may either return to their biological family or be placed with another relative if it is in the best interest of the child. The state's regulations and support systems are in place to ensure that the foster care experience is beneficial for both the children and the foster parents, while always prioritizing the well-being and best interests of the children involved.