foster-child

1 3.4

A child who lives with people who are not their birth parents

noun
/ˈfɔstər ˌtʃaɪld/

: niño de crianza

I do see we are losing some richness and variety when the Vatican withdraws from the foster-child business.

Examples

After many years in foster care, the foster-child finally found a loving adoptive family.
These list two categories of "foster-children": fosturborn and tokuborn.

Academic text (1993)
"Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness, Thou foster-child of silence and slow time" -- John Keats

Blog text (6)
The couple decided to become foster parents and welcomed their first foster-child into their home.
Every month, she volunteers at a local charity that supports foster-children and their families.

Synonyms

foster child

vsfoster-child

19 3.0

A young person raised by people who are not their birth or adoptive parents

is identical in meaning but written with a hyphen

foster son

vsfoster-child

2 3.4

A boy or man raised by a family that is not his birth family

is neutral in gender and covers all young people in that arrangement

foster daughter

vsfoster-child

1 3.3

A girl or young woman who lives with people who are not her birth parents and is not adopted

is gender neutral and applies to any young person in such care

fosterling

vsfoster-child

Archaic

9.1

A child raised and cared for by people who are not their birth parents

is the standard term used in formal arrangements rather than informal speech

Surface Forms

foster-child singular

foster-children plural

Morphology

foster-child = foster + child (transparent) = foster + child

Simple compound of 'foster' (not biological; cared for by others) + 'child' yields the expected meaning.

Etymology

Foster-child comes from foster, an old word that meant 'to feed' or 'to nurse', so it brings a picture of someone caring for and raising a child. That's why a foster-child is a child looked after by people who are not their birth parents.