里子
Meanings
1
A child raised by a foster parent (里親), not by biological parents. Often used in social welfare contexts.
See also: 里親
She grew up as a foster child.
Support is needed for children placed in foster care.
2
adopted animal; foster pet
Extended use: an animal (especially a pet) taken in and cared for by a foster owner, often from a shelter or rescue.
We took in a cat as a foster pet from a rescue organization.
Usage patterns
- 〈人〉を里子に出すto place a child in foster care
For financial reasons, they decided to place the child in foster care.
- 〈動物〉を里子に出すto give an animal up for fostering/adoption
The shelter puts the dogs it has rescued up for foster adoption.
- 〈人〉を里子に迎えるto take in a child as a foster child
The couple took in a boy as their foster child.