Foster children and foster families

In short: Foster children live temporarily or permanently with a foster family because their biological parents cannot care for them. Unlike adoption, legal parenthood usually remains with the biological parents.

In more detail: The youth welfare office places foster children and supports foster families on an ongoing basis.

In detail

• Types of fostering: Short-term care, long-term care and emergency standby care.
• Suitability: Foster families are assessed by the youth welfare office and prepared for the task.
• Foster care allowance: Foster families receive financial support for upkeep and upbringing.
• Contact with biological parents: Regular contact is often planned, depending on the individual case.
• Particular challenges: Foster children often bring burdensome prior experiences requiring special care.
• Professional support: Foster families receive counselling and supervision from professionals.
• Return option: If the situation improves, a return to the biological parents can be considered (adoption-in-deutschland-grundlagen).