There are some significant differences between domestic foster care and refugee foster care:
| Domestic Foster Care | Refugee Foster Care | |
| Ages | Newborn – 18 y.o | Teenagers, typically 16-17 y.o |
| Genders | Male/Female | Mostly males |
| Goal | Reunification with birth parents, unless parental rights have been terminated. | Independent living once they age out of the system at the age of 21 y.o |
| Parental Visits | If parental rights have not been terminated, the frequency of the required visits depends on the child’s age. | No parental visits. Birth parents are either deceased or “missing” outside of the U.S. |
| Adoption Eligibility | If parental rights have been terminated by a court, the child becomes eligible for adoption. | Not eligible for adoption, because birth parents’ rights were never terminated. |
| Place of Origin | Anywhere in the U.S. | Prior to coming to the U.S, refugee foster children live in refugee camps all around the world. They are only brought to the US once they have been matched with a licensed family. Most Muslim refugee foster kids, are currently coming from Africa and the Far East. None are coming from the Middle East at this time. |
| Trauma Experienced | Varies greatly. Physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, substance abuse, and removal from family. | Same as domestic, as well as a new country, new language, new culture, likely to have experienced exposure to war. |
| Schooling | Likely to have experienced interrupted schooling. | Likely to have missed many years of formal schooling. |
| Licensing Procedure | 3-6 months starting with orientation. | Same as domestic, plus minor additional steps, such as TB screening for the foster parents. |
| Travel | Cannot travel outside the state of residence without the consent of birth parents. | Cannot travel outside the state of residence without the permission of the court. |