Orphans vs. foster children?

Question

What's the difference between an orphan and a foster child?

Answer 1

An orphan is a child whose parents are dead. They may still become foster children. A foster child hasn't necessarily lost its parents. That child may be in foster care because of abuse, neglect, or other reasons.

From the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary:

Orphan:

1: a child deprived by death of one or usually both parents.

Answer 2

An orphan is a ward of the state that lives in a state home or orphanage run by employees. A foster child is a ward of the state but lives in a family's home as part of the family without having been formerly adopted. An orphan also has no parents where as a foster child may still have parents who have only temporary lost custidy due to incarceration or something else.

Answer 3

An orphan is a child with no living parents. A foster child is in the custody of some governmental entity and is living in a situation paid for by the government. Some foster children are orphans, others have been taken away from unfit parents.What used to be called orphanages were institutions for children who were really orphans with no one to care for them or had parents who couldn't care for them.