Public Policy Measure
The Foster Home is a social service, developed in equipment, designed to take in children and young people in a situation of risk, based on the application of a promotion and protection measure. Foster homes provide a response to situations that involve removing a child or young person from the situation of risk in which they find themselves. They must be organised in such a way as to ensure maximum well-being, effective equality of opportunity, full satisfaction of specific needs, including the development of autonomy skills and the effective promotion and exercise of the rights of the children and young people they take in.
This social service is regulated by Decree-Law no. 164/2019, of October 25, in its current version, which establishes the system for implementing residential care, a measure to promote the rights and protection of children and young people in risk, and by Order no. 450/2023, of December 22, in its current version, which establishes the system for organising, operating and setting up foster homes for children and young people.