For families, caregivers, and advocates new to foster care, the system can feel like an overwhelming labyrinth. Terms are thrown around—CPS, TPR, reunification, permanency—without much explanation. Cases move fast, often with very little transparency. Children are shuffled between homes. Parents are expected to complete services and attend hearings without clear guidance. Foster parents are given responsibility without authority. And everyone is impacted by decisions made in closed-door courtrooms.

This blog is your crash course. Foster care is too important, too impactful, to remain mysterious. Let’s break it down.

FosterED Connection was born from a simple but urgent question: What if foster care didn't have to feel like disconnection? What if every child, parent, and caregiver involved in the foster care system could find themselves supported—not just by scattered services, but by a coordinated, compassionate community committed to long-term healing and success?