Abstract
Foster care provides temporary care for children who are unable to safely remain with their families of origin, often for reasons of child abuse or neglect. This chapter of Foster Care and Best Interests of the Child provides an overview of the foster care system in the United States. We describe the development of the modern child welfare system and the legal basis for removing children from their homes. We briefly review the purpose, core goals, and priorities of foster care, which inform the experiences of children in foster care, how and why children enter the foster care system, and how foster parents are trained and, in some cases, licensed. The chapter includes a table defining 47 key terms used in the foster care system.