Here's why acclaimed drama The Fosters won’t return for season 6. The Freeform drama premiered back in 2013 and introduced the Foster family, a clan headed by same-sex couple Stef (Teri Polo) and Lena (Sherri Saum) who live in the suburbs of San Diego. Together, Stef and Lena raise a brood of biological and adopted kids – Brandon (David Lambert), adopted siblings Callie (Maia Mitchell), her half-brother Jude (Hayden Byerly) and twins Mariana (Cierra Ramirez) and Jesus (Noah Centineo, To All The Boys I've Loved Before).

Over its five-season run, The Fosters was groundbreaking in its tackling of important social issues such as immigration and LGBTQ and adoption rights, which helped increase the visibility of many groups underrepresented in the media. Praised for its portrayal of LGBTQ characters and a non-nuclear family that’s both blended and multi-ethnic, the show received several accolades including a NAACP Image Award nomination and a couple of GLAAD Media Awards.

Related: The Fosters Season 5 Finale Was A Perfect Ending To The Show

Much to the dismay of The Fosters’ fans, Freeform chose not to renew the show for a sixth season. Here’s why The Fosters season 6 isn’t happening.

Freeform Canceled The Fosters In 2018

The Fosters

Freeform announced it was pulling the plug on The Fosters a week before the second half of its fifth season aired. Karey Burke, then Freeform’s executive vice president of programming and development, suggested the decision was made because the Foster kids were growing up and flying the nest, but a dip in ratings may have had something to do with it too.

The Fosters Had Two Finales (Sort Of)

The Fosters

Although it was sad to see The Fosters go, the show certainly got an epic send-off. The first official finale came in March 2018 with the show’s two-part 10oth episode that featured a couple of time jumps, showing the Foster kids all graduating high school and going off to college.

That was followed by a three-part grand finale that aired a couple of months later. Set after another time jump, the second finale saw the Foster family attend Brandon’s wedding in Turks & Caicos and gather for one last family dinner before selling their beloved home.

The Fosters Has A Spinoff Show

Good Trouble

The Fosters spinoff show Good Trouble follows Callie and Mariana as they move to Los Angeles and start their adult lives. Good Trouble aired its first season in early 2019 which was quickly followed by a second season that premiered over the summer. The spinoff features guest appearances from a few Foster family members so even though The Fosters season 6 didn’t happen, at least they're still on TV screens in some form.

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