Adoption is a legal act based on a court decision, by virtue of which the same rights and obligations arise between the adoptive parent and the adopted child as between parents and children.

A foster family is a family in which spouses or individual citizens (guardians, trustees) perform the duties of raising orphaned children and (or) children left without parental care, based on a decision of the guardianship and guardianship authority to establish custody (guardianship) over the child (children) and appoint a guardian (trustee).

Foster family is a family in which spouses or individual citizens (foster parents) perform the duties of raising orphaned children and (or) children left without parental care, in accordance with the Regulations on Foster Family, approved by Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated October 28, 1999 No. 1678, on the basis of an agreement on the conditions of upbringing and the maintenance of children and the employment contract.

A family–type orphanage is a family that has adopted from five to ten orphaned children and (or) children left without parental care, in which spouses or individual citizens (parent-caregivers) perform child-rearing duties in accordance with the Regulations on a family-type orphanage approved by the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic. Belarus, dated 28.02.2006, No. 289, on the basis of an agreement on the conditions of upbringing and maintenance of children and an employment contract.