How should a Christian view foster care?

from the old testament

• Children are a precious gift from God, not burdens or inconveniences, regardless of the circumstances surrounding them (Psalm 127:3).
• Every child is made in the image of God and therefore possesses inherent dignity and worth (Genesis 1:26–27).
• God repeatedly identifies Himself as the defender of the fatherless and vulnerable (Psalm 68:5) and commands His people to actively care for vulnerable children and the fatherless (Isaiah 1:17).
• Deuteronomy 10:18 reveals that God personally “executes justice for the fatherless,” showing His compassion toward children without protection. God judged nations and leaders for neglecting or oppressing vulnerable people, including orphans (Malachi 3:5; Ezekiel 22:7).
  
• Israel’s laws created practical systems to provide for vulnerable people through gleaning, tithes, and legal protections (Leviticus 19:9–10; Deuteronomy 14:28–29).
  Biblical compassion was meant to be tangible and sacrificial, not merely emotional or theoretical. The same principles apply to orphans and the vulnerable today, including those in foster care.
• Moses himself experienced a form of compassionate rescue and care outside his biological home when Pharaoh’s daughter took him in (Exodus 2:1–10). Esther was raised by her older cousin Mordecai after the death of her parents (Esther 2:7).
  Mephibosheth, the orphaned son of Jonathan, was later welcomed into King David’s household and treated like one of the king’s own sons despite his vulnerability and disability (2 Samuel 9:1–13). Joash was hidden, protected, and raised by Jehosheba and Jehoiada after his family was murdered, preserving his life from destruction (2 Kings 11:1–3). Samuel was entrusted to the care of Eli at the tabernacle from childhood, where he was spiritually nurtured and guided in the ways of the Lord (1 Samuel 1:24–28; 1 Samuel 3:1). Covenant followers of God have always cared for the vulnerable. 
  
• Caring for vulnerable children reflects God’s justice, mercy, and covenant love. Proverbs repeatedly praises those who defend those who cannot defend themselves (Proverbs 31:8–9).
  

from the new testament

• Jesus openly welcomed children when society considered them unimportant (Mark 10:13–16), and He became indignant when people tried to keep children away from Him. 
  
• Jesus taught that receiving vulnerable children in His name is spiritually significant (Matthew 18:5).
  
• Christ gave severe warnings against harming or causing children to stumble (Matthew 18:6).
  
• James 1:27 describes caring for orphans and widows as part of “pure and undefiled religion.” Foster care reflects this value.
• The New Testament consistently teaches active, sacrificial love rather than passive concern (1 John 3:17–18). Christians are commanded to show hospitality, compassion, gentleness, patience, and mercy—all qualities essential in caring for vulnerable children.
  
• The gospel itself uses the imagery of adoption into God’s family (Romans 8:15; Ephesians 1:5).

implications for today

Right now in the United States, about 329,000 children are living in foster care, while more than 505,000 children passed through the system during 2024 alone. Around 171,000 children entered foster care this past year, often because of neglect—which accounts for roughly 55% of removals—along with abuse, abandonment, parental drug abuse, unsafe housing, or incarceration. Many of these children spend nearly two years in the system, moving between homes and facing uncertainty about where they belong. Every year, about 15,000 young people age out of foster care without permanent families, and many face increased risks of homelessness, poverty, incarceration, unemployment, and mental health struggles, with studies estimating that 22–30% experience homelessness after aging out.

At the same time, there is a major shortage of foster families across the country, meaning some children are separated from siblings, moved far from their communities, or placed in group facilities instead of loving homes. As Christians, these realities should deeply move us because Scripture repeatedly reveals God as the “Father of the fatherless” (Psalm 68:5) and calls His people to defend, protect, and care for the vulnerable. Foster care is more than a social issue—it is a powerful opportunity for believers to reflect God's love to children who desperately need safety, stability, and hope.

From the very beginning, God’s people were expected to reflect His heart by protecting, providing for, and defending vulnerable children. The early church became known throughout the Roman world for doing exactly that. While many in Roman society abandoned unwanted infants or left vulnerable children exposed to die, early Christians became distinguished for rescuing, welcoming, and caring for those whom society rejected or discarded. Their faith produced visible compassion and practical action, showing the world what the love of Christ looked like in real life. And we are called to do the same.

Why? Caring for the vulnerable reflects the heart of the gospel: we were spiritually lost, abandoned in our sin, and yet God graciously brought us into His family through Christ. In many ways, foster care models that same gospel love by welcoming the vulnerable, offering safety and belonging, extending grace and stability, and showing sacrificial love to children in crisis. Foster care can be emotionally difficult and costly, requiring patience, perseverance, and deep compassion, yet God is faithful to meet us where we need Him as we seek to love Him and others faithfully. While not every Christian is called to become a foster parent, every Christian is called to care about vulnerable children in some meaningful way. Christians can support foster care through fostering, adoption, providing respite care, mentoring, giving financially, praying, providing practical services like clothing and bedding for foster care ministries, and supporting foster families in meaningful ways. When we care for those in foster care, the gospel and the love of Christ become visible to children who desperately need it.