In the article foster families are presented as participants of social relationship. Making references to content analysis of scientific literature, civil law, periodicals and pilot experiment the attitudes of participants of foster families to foster families as an institution, their mission and connections are revealed. Foster families are seen as an alternative to governmental institutional care and have all features of the third economical sector. In Lithuania foster families exist for more than 20 years, they have undergone many changes. The tendency of partnership was expressed recently by establishing associations of foster families, which represent cases of common interests. Associations do not only supply foster families with necessary information and educational support, but they have a potential to developing entrepreneurship.