Foster care is the care provided to children in cases sometimes due to problems within the family, such as neglect, both violent and sexual abuse, parental substance abuse, depression or other health problems and how As a result, the environment in which the child lives may be considered unsafe, inappropriate or even life-threatening. In cases like these, agencies such as the police, social workers or doctors may recommend that the child be placed in care temporarily, until the situation is investigated or resolved, in more serious cases the child may remain in care until age of 16 or sometimes even adopted by another family. Short term or long term and whatever the reason a child is taken away from their family environment, all of this can have a huge effect on the child both emotionally, mentally and physically, which could have lasting effects into adulthood. This essay will explore both theory and research on the impact that foster care can have on a child's development and emotional well-being, as well as the possible effects of factors that explain why they were placed in foster care. In the UK there were 68,110 children reported to be looked after in 2013, of which 28,460 were no longer in care by the end of the year and a further 3,980 of these children were legally adopted into other families. The majority of children placed in care were for reasons of neglect or abuse, at 62%. The second highest, at 15%, was for reasons of family dysfunction, while the lowest, at 1%, was due to family income (Glenndennings 2013). There are various forms of foster care designed to meet the needs of children for both short periods and long-term possibilities. Emergency foster care... middle of paper... like their parents would do when they find themselves in a situation with others. For example, if a boy regularly experiences seeing his father's or mother's partner hit him, he will be more likely to repeat the same behavior towards his own future partner or sometimes even towards his own children (Isom 1998). Whatever the factors that led to a child being placed in care, some children may enter care with existing problems and because many have suffered abuse, neglect or inadequate care, those who leave care in the future are thought to run a greater risk of suffering from poor physical and mental health and poor academic achievement, as well as potential teenage pregnancy, unemployment, involvement in criminal activity and that their children are at risk of being taken into care in the future (Wakelyn 2011).