Fosterage

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The practice of entrusting a child to the care of another family, typically for education, training, or social bonding purposes
2. The system of placing a child under the guardianship and upbringing of someone other than their biological parents, often for cultural, educational, or political alliance reasons
3. A customary arrangement in which a young person is raised by a foster family to strengthen kinship ties, provide training, or secure social advancement

Etymology: "Fosterage" is a plain compound: the Old English-derived verb-noun "foster" with the suffix "-age" attached. The "-age" ending came into English through Old French, where it descended from Latin "-aticum," a suffix used to form nouns of action, collective states, or the charges and dues associated with something. English borrowed it widely, which is why so many words like "marriage," "voyage" and "homage" end the same way. The base word "foster" has a more interesting past. It comes from Old English "fostrian," meaning to nourish or rear, and it is related to "food" through the older sense of feeding. Over time, "foster" moved from simply feeding a child to raising a child who was not your own, which is the sense that "fosterage" carries. Adding "-age" gave English a single noun for the whole arrangement: the act of placing a child in another household to be reared, educated or trained.

Synonyms: nurturing, care, guardianship, parenting