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Differences between Support Families and Foster Care Support Families are different from foster care.  A Support Family is similar to foster care in the sense that it may involve an unrelated family in caring for a child, but a Support Family differs from traditional foster care in significant ways: A parent (of a child not in child protective services custody) can voluntarily choose to use a Support Family without giving up their rights. A parent (of a child not in child protective services custody) or guardian can choose the specific Support Family they want to care for their child. Recruitment, selection, and preparation of Support Families emphasizes a long-term commitment rather than short-term care. Recruitment and selection is specifically targeted to children with developmental disabilities. Support Families are carefully matched with children and with their families to enable the two families to work collaboratively for the child. Support Families receive training and preparation specifically for the child who will be placed with them. Adequate time is taken to prepare the Support Family and the child prior to placement to ensure the child’s well-being, the longevity of the placement, and to ease the transition of the child from their current living arrangement.  For children in child protective services custody, a Support Family may be a foster parent, but they agree to make more of a commitment than temporary care of a child.  A foster parent who becomes a Support Family for a child with a disability who is in child protective services custody agrees to make a long-term commitment to a child when reunification is unlikely or to work collaboratively with the child’s parents as part of a court ordered supervised plan.