Foster care provides children with a temporary home and family when their parents are unable to meet their needs and keep them safe. There are many reasons a child may be removed from his/her biological home. It could be due to physical, emotional or sexual abuse or due to neglect. Foster care provides these children with a stable, safe and nurturing environment while their parents work on improving their situations. Foster care is designed to be a temporary solution to meet the children's needs until they can return home safely. A child may remain in foster care for a few days or many months. Recent legislative changes have been designed to minimize the length of time a child spends in foster care. Whenever possible, children are returned to their birth parents. Foster parents are encouraged to work towards reuniting the child with his/her parents. Contacts include the biological parent participating in visitation, doctor appointments and school activities. Before a child is placed in a particular home, the foster parent receives background information about the child, including any medical, physical and behavior problems that exist, as well as any mental health issues. Based on the information provided, the foster parent can make an informed decision as to whether they think a particular child would be a good match for their family.