fos·ter [faw-ster, fos-ter] verb 1. to promote the growth or development of; further; encourage: to foster new ideas. 2. to bring up, raise, or rear, as a foster child. 3. to care for or cherish. The last few months have not been what I expected. As our timeline toward welcoming more children into our home advances, I expected that I would be sharing a lot more. We have remained very guarded. I struggle daily, resisting the urge to shout