Which individual is licensed by authorities to act as a parent for a child without legal adoption?

The correct answer is Foster Parent. Foster parents are individuals who are licensed or authorized by relevant authorities to provide temporary care for children who cannot live with their biological parents due to various reasons, such as abuse, neglect, or family crises. Foster care is a crucial intervention that ensures the child’s safety and well-being, and it is designed to be a supportive placement until the child can return home or find a more permanent solution.

Foster parents do not have the same legal rights and responsibilities as adoptive parents, nor do they have a permanent legal relationship with the child like a guardian would. Guardianship involves a legal status granted by a court that may allow an individual to make decisions about the child's upbringing, but this is not done through licensing in the same way as foster care. Adoptive parents take on a permanent role, legally becoming the child’s parents through the adoption process. Stepparents typically acquire their role through marriage to one of the biological parents and do not require a license to act in that capacity.