Around the world, the foster care system is facing a crisis, with over 400,000 children in the U.S. alone being in the system on any given day. Despite billions spent annually, and an astonishing $94.4 billion allocated to the Administration for Children and Families in 2024 in the U.S., the foster care system still often fails to provide stable, loving homes for children, with more than half interacting with the juvenile justice system before turning 17. Most young people who are part of this system face heightened risks of addiction and mental health challenges as well.

These grim realities are not just statistics – they represent lives, futures, and members of our society in need of stability, care, and love. At the heart of the crisis facing these vulnerable children lies a shortage of foster homes, overwhelmed social workers, and limited resources.

Could artificial intelligence (AI), a powerful and emerging tool, help address the shortcomings of this system? If developed and applied ethically, AI could support the foster care system in ways that honor the dignity of every child while relieving the immense strain on caregivers and social workers. For example, advanced algorithms can analyze vast datasets to predict which placements are most likely to succeed, minimizing the emotional toll of multiple placements on children. Consistency and security are critical for their emotional and spiritual development, and a well-matched initial placement can transform their lives.

Additionally, AI has the potential to empower human caregivers within the system. Social workers could benefit from tools that automate paperwork, streamline scheduling, and help prioritize urgent cases. These efficiencies would free them to focus on what truly matters: building relationships, providing care, and advocating for the children they serve.

Foster parents, too, can find support through AI-driven platforms offering tailored advice, behavioral coaching, and training. Raising a foster child comes with unique challenges, and personalized tools can equip parents with the resources they need to meet those challenges with patience and love.

Some might worry that incorporating AI into foster care risks dehumanizing an already strained system. But AI is not a substitute for human compassion or moral responsibility. It could serve the foster care system as a tool meant to enhance the care provided by human workers and caregivers. By handling routine, data-driven tasks, AI can create more time and space for human connection, emotional support, and mentorship, ensuring that the foster care system remains deeply personal and mission-driven. Of course, this technology must be implemented thoughtfully, with proper safeguards, to protect the dignity and rights of every child.

The well-being of children must always take precedence. Ideally, every child would grow up in a stable, loving family, but we cannot ignore the reality that many do not. It is our collective responsibility to provide the best alternatives possible, which includes embracing innovation. Private companies – especially those in the tech industry – can play a vital role in this mission by donating resources, developing specialized AI tools, and collaborating with policymakers to modernize foster care systems. By taking on the load of creating reliable AI systems, which are safe enough to handle highly personal information of children, these private companies would need to have ethics committees aiding them every step of the way. However, their involvement is necessary so that governments, NGO-s, and faith-based organizations can provide life-changing help to those in an incredibly vulnerable situation, reliant on them. There is a crucial need for trustworthy AI, so that we can meaningfully implement it into this specific field.

To achieve real change in this field, a well-structured, ethical, and practical approach is necessary, the first phase of which should be establishing an Ethical and Regulatory Committee. This body should be made up of a multidisciplinary team comprising child welfare experts, AI ethicists, policymakers, and former foster youth. This committee would be responsible for ensuring AI systems are designed and deployed in ways that prioritize the well-being of children, maintain transparency, and prevent biases. Foster care involves highly sensitive data, therefore, collaboration with legislators is essential to create strict policies that protect this information while ensuring AI compliance with existing laws such as HIPAA and GDPR. Tech companies, research institutions, and government agencies should work together to develop AI models tailored to foster care needs. These partnerships would secure funding and leverage technological expertise to ensure responsible AI development.

The second phase of implementation should include AI-driven enhancements, such as predictive placement matching and AI-assisted case management for social workers. AI can analyze vast datasets, providing invaluable help to those in need. However, ethical safeguards are vital, as AI recommendations should always be reviewed by human social workers before final placement decisions. AI should always serve as an assistive tool rather than replace human decision-making, ensuring social workers retain full control over case assessments.

Phase three should be about pilot testing and refinement. In order to see whether AI could work to enhance foster care, Regional Pilot Programs should be launched in select states or counties, allowing for real-world testing. Feedback from social workers, children, and foster families will be invaluable in refining AI models and ensuring they are both effective and ethical. Regular, independent evaluations of AI’s performance must be conducted, including: assessments of placement success rates, identifying and addressing potential biases, as well as publishing transparency reports to ensure accountability and public trust

The final phase of this plan would be scaling and long-term impact assessments. Once pilot programs prove successful, AI-driven solutions can be implemented on a larger scale, becoming an integral part of national foster care systems. This phase requires continued funding, regulatory support, and training programs for social workers and foster parents. AI is not a replacement for human caregivers – it is a tool meant to enhance their ability to provide care. Ongoing improvements, research, and ethical oversight will be necessary to ensure AI remains a force for good within the foster care system.

By integrating AI responsibly into foster care, we can build a system that prioritizes stability, reduces administrative burdens, and better supports both children and caregivers. However, AI must always complement – not replace – the compassion, judgment, and moral responsibility of human social workers, caregivers, and foster parents. In the case of foster care, AI implementation should be governed by strict privacy laws. With the right safeguards and thoughtful implementation, AI has the potential to be a transformative force, helping to create a foster care system that truly honors and protects vulnerable children.

Mónika Mercz JD is a visiting researcher at The George Washington University in Washington D.C. She is completing her PhD studies in Law and Political Sciences at the Doctoral School of the Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, where her research topic examines how constitutional identity manifests in essential state functions of the Member States of the European Union. A graduate of the University of Miskolc with a degree in law, she specialized as an English legal translator, and holds a degree in AI and Law from the University of Lisbon. Mónika has over fifty scientific publications, and has attended numerous international conferences. She is currently working for the Public Law Center of Mathias Corvinus Collegium, and has previously worked for The National Authority for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, The Office of the National Assembly and the Miskolc Regional Court. She was previously the Secretary General of ELSA Miskolc (2020-2022), and is currently a member of Aurum Foundation, YATA Hungary, and the international director of Central European Lawyers Initiative. She is a founding editor of Constitutional Discourse, leading the Privacy & Data Protection column.