Final answer:
An individual caring for an infant who is not the biological parent and does not offer unconditional care often describes a nonrelative foster parent or guardian. These individuals are state-certified adults providing care under agency supervision, sometimes motivated by the need to prioritize their own offspring.
Step-by-step explanation:
An individual who cares for an infant but is not a biological parent and who does not provide unconditional caretaking, often because they prioritize their own offspring, can be described in several ways. These can be nonrelative foster parents, as about 25 percent of children who do not live with an adoptive or biological parent live with nonrelatives. This includes foster parents, temporary guardians, or people in other types of relationships with the child or the child's family. Non-relative foster parents are state-certified adults who care for children under the guidance and supervision of a relevant agency and are provided with financial support for this role.
Foster care arrangements can stem from a variety of dire family situations, including parental mental health issues, drug use, incarceration, and abuse. In cases where the parents are uninvolved or neglectful, such as from severe depression, substance abuse, or extreme work focus, the state may intervene and place the child with a foster parent or guardian. These arrangements are not only limited to nonrelatives; often, grandparents or other relatives also assume caregiving roles, sometimes informally and other times through formal state intervention.