Different Types of Foster Care: A Comprehensive Guide

Foster care is a temporary placement for children whose parents or caregivers are unable to safely care for them. The child welfare system intervenes, often in cases of abuse, neglect, or serious financial or health challenges, to place children with caretakers like foster parents. The goal of foster care is to provide a safe, caring environment while working toward a permanent plan, such as reunification with the biological family. If that is not possible, then guardianship or adoption becomes the goal.

Because many children entering foster care have experienced trauma, foster parents and caregivers must practice trauma-informed care, offering emotional support, consistency, and understanding as these young people adjust to change.

READ MORE: What is the Purpose of Foster Care?

The Different Kinds of Foster Care

Different types of foster care exist to meet a child’s varying needs and circumstances.

Traditional Foster Care

This is the most common type.

In traditional foster care, children live in a family setting while birth parents work toward resolving issues that made the home unsafe. The traditional foster parents partner with child welfare professionals, the courts, and the biological family under a case plan designed to facilitate reunification. Placements may last weeks to months or even years, depending on the child’s situation.

Kinship Care

Kinship care, also called relative care or family care, places children with relatives or close family friends (sometimes called “fictive kin”) instead of non-related foster families. Kinship care creates less trauma because the child stays with someone they already know. This preserves existing family relationships and culture while maintaining a sense of stability.

Kinship caregivers can either be “formal” (when the state has legal custody, and the caregiver is licensed) or informal/voluntary (arrangements made privately or with minimal system involvement). States often encourage kinship placements, as research shows they tend to lead to fewer placement changes and better outcomes.

READ MORE: Understanding Who Qualifies for Kinship Care: The Criteria and Process

Therapeutic Foster Care

Some children enter foster care with greater emotional, behavioral, or medical needs. Therapeutic foster care is designed to support those needs by placing children with caregivers trained in evidence-based interventions and working closely with therapists or other specialists.

These caregivers receive more support, supervision, and resources. The goal is to stabilize the child’s health and behavior and integrate therapeutic services within the home environment. They may help with mental health diagnoses to aid in treatment plans.

Respite Care

Respite care offers short-term relief to foster families.

When foster parents need a break—due to burnout, personal needs, or emergencies—a respite caregiver steps in temporarily. Because children need familiarity and routine, many systems arrange recurring respite placements, allowing the child to develop trust and minimize trauma from frequent moves.

Respite care is also used as a “taste test” for families considering fostering without long-term commitment.

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Foster Care

• Short-term foster care is intended for brief stays while the system seeks a more stable placement or reunification.
• Long-term foster care is for situations where foster children cannot return home safely for a longer period, sometimes until adulthood. It provides continuity and stability when reunification is not immediately possible.

Foster parents in long-term placements often support education, emotional growth, and help the child transition to adulthood.

Group Homes / Congregate Care

When a child’s needs exceed what can be managed in a family setting, group homes (or congregate care settings) may be used. These environments are more structured and staffed 24/7, to provide round-the-clock care and supervision.

These homes often serve youth with behavioral or mental health needs and are supposed to be used when all other home-based placement options are inappropriate. However, group care can feel more institutional and less personalized, leading to trauma and destabilization.

Non-Related Kin Care

If no close relative can provide care, sometimes non-related kin or fictive kin may be approved to foster. These can include someone the child is familiar with, like a family friend or mentor, which reduces trauma since there is already a pre-established relationship. Fictive caregivers may receive temporary licenses to ensure a quick placement while full licensing is completed.

What It Takes to Become a Foster Parent

Becoming a foster parent varies depending on the type of foster care:

• Training and licensing are required in most states, including criminal background checks, home studies, and safety inspections.
• For therapeutic care, additional training and specialized support are needed.
• Foster parents must be ready for uncertainty—placements may change quickly, and case plans may evolve.
• Foster parents should be emotionally resilient, culturally responsive, and willing to collaborate with birth families and child welfare professionals.

Many start by offering respite or short-term care and grow into longer placements as they gain experience and confidence.

READ MORE: How to Become a Foster Parent — The 5 Step Guide

Working with Birth Families & Permanency Plans

A core principle of foster care is family reunification when safe and possible. Foster parents often serve as a bridge, supporting a child’s relationship with birth family members, facilitating visits, and modeling healthy parenting and communication.

However, when reunification isn’t safe or possible, foster care aims for alternate permanency options—such as adoption or guardianship. These decisions are shaped by the child’s case plan, input from child welfare professionals, and legal oversight.

Support Services & Resources

All types of foster care benefit from supportive services:

• Counseling, mental health, and behavioral services to help children heal from trauma
• Respite and peer support to prevent burnout
• Training and education for foster parents to stay informed and effective
• Financial stipends or reimbursements to cover care costs

Different types of foster care exist to meet a wide range of needs for children in foster care. Every placement aims to provide a safe, caring environment while pursuing the best permanent outcome for the child, whether reunification, guardianship, or adoption.

Choosing which type fits best depends on a family’s strengths, training, and willingness to engage in collaboration. 

With strong support systems and a trauma-informed approach, foster parents help children heal, grow, and thrive.