fos·ter

(fô′stər, fŏs′tər)

tr.v. fos·tered, fos·ter·ing, fos·ters

1. To bring up; nurture: bear and foster offspring. See Synonyms at nurture.

2. To promote the growth and development of; cultivate: detect and foster artistic talent. See Synonyms at advance.

3. To nurse; cherish: foster a secret hope.

adj.

1. Providing parental care and nurture to children not related through legal or blood ties: foster parents; foster grandparents; a foster home.

2. Receiving parental care and nurture from those not related to one through legal or blood ties: foster children.

[Middle English fostren, from Old English *fōstrian, to nourish, from fōstor, food, nourishing; see pā- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	fostering - encouragement; aiding the development of something fosterage encouragement - the expression of approval and support
	2.	fostering - helping someone grow up to be an accepted member of the community; "they debated whether nature or nurture was more important" bringing up, fosterage, nurture, rearing, upbringing, breeding, raising acculturation, enculturation, socialisation, socialization - the adoption of the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture; "the socialization of children to the norms of their culture"

Translations

fostering

[ˈfɒstərɪŋ] N → acogimiento m familiar

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

fostering

[ˈfɒstərɪŋ] n → affidamento

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

The conditions fostering the growth of that supreme, alive excellence, as well in work as in play, ought to be preserved with a most careful regard lest the industry or the game should perish of an insidious and inward decay.

View in context

Women were ever the bane of Umslopogaas, my fostering. I forget the story of that woman, for I remember only these things that happened long ago, before I grew very old.

View in context

There remains a philosophy that foster parents should be interested in fostering only because they love children and thus the presence of children should be reward enough.

Improving children's experiences in foster care: foster parent ideas

Better utilization of foster families might be linked to parents" reasons for fostering. This study used data from the National Survey of Current and Former Foster Parents to examine relationships between reasons for fostering and types of services and length of service foster parents provide.

Foster parents' reasons for fostering and foster family utilization

The authors are grateful to Jenny Miller, Jonathan Fields, Devon Burris, and members of the Fostering Futures Advisory Board for their assistance with this study.

Are we ignoring youths with disabilities in foster care? An examination of their school performance

When their first baby arrived they gave up fostering for the next 15 years, during which time three more children were born.

A very extended family: Ann Rignall meets Pete and June Pemberton, who have fostered 360 children over the past 40 years

* Kinship care centers for grandparents who are fostering their grandchildren

Soap opera star takes up legislative fight for foster care reform

Finally, fostering was a long term commitment for many foster mothers.

Redesign or downloading of services? A critical examination of a restructuroing program for foster care in New Brunswick

A major concern is that as many as 40% of foster parents stop fostering within their first year.

Promoting Family-Centered Care with Foster Families

"In 2016/17, there were around 290 children fostered by private companies, which accounts for PS15m of the PS20m we spend on fostering. As these private companies charge twice what a local authority pays its own registered carers, that is more than PS5m that could be invested by the council into children's care.

'We must act to end this foster care SCANDAL'

HUNDREDS more foster families need to be recruited in Wales during the coming year, according to a leading fostering charity - particularly families that can care for teenagers and siblings.

Charity in call for more fosterers