Adult foster care: what it is and who it's for

Care in a licensed private home with five or fewer residents.

When it's the right level

Adult foster care is generally the right place to look when the issue is families who want a small household rather than a campus. Care needs change, though, and many communities are licensed for more than one level — what happens when needs increase is the single best question to ask on any tour.

How it's licensed

This category is licensed by the state, which means inspection reports and substantiated violations are public records you can read before you tour. In Oregon it appears on the register as adult foster home.

Where you can browse them

Live coverage: adult foster care in Oregon — 1,559 licensed communities from the state register. Other states are on the coverage map.

What does this cost?

The published national median for assisted living is $6,200 a month (CareScout (Genworth) Cost of Care Survey, 2025). Nursing care runs $9,581 a month for a semi-private room; in-home care $6,673; adult day care $2,058. Prices vary enormously by state and city — a national median sets your expectations, it is not a quote.

No directory can honestly quote you a price for a specific community. Operators don't publish their rates, and the rates change without notice — so a per-community number on a site like this one is either out of date or bait to get your phone number. The only current price is the one the community gives you. Medicaid can cover care in communities marked “Accepts Medicaid” if the person qualifies; your state's licensing portal and the community itself can confirm current rates.

Method: 211,985 long-term-care providers surveyed, July–November 2025. We publish regional medians because their source can be checked, and no per-community prices at all.

Still deciding?

The care assessment takes two minutes and no contact details, and the other levels are here: independent living, assisted living, residential care, memory care, nursing homes.