Becoming an Adoptive Foster Parent in Virginia: What to Know

The demand for foster and adoptive parents in Virginia is as urgent as ever. The large number of children and teens who find themselves in state care exceeded 5,000 in 2022. While the number of kids in care ebbs and flows, it stubbornly remains at higher levels than we have homes to care for them.

While the average age of a child in foster care is eight years old, the fastest-growing group is children five and under. The groups who retain the most urgent need are siblings and teens. No matter the age or situation, all children in the foster system need a safe and loving home with adults they can trust. Around 1,700 Virginia youth in care need adoptive families who will support and believe in them.

Nationwide, close to 20,000 children leave foster care every year without having a family home or support system. When teens turn 18, they will "age out" of care and must leave the safety network of the foster system. They become legal adults at that age even when they are not prepared to transition into adulthood.

Older kids and young adults need parental guidance and support to live successful, independent lives. Far too many do not have an adoptive family or ongoing foster support and end up on the streets. Many hardships await youth who age out without a support network.

If your heart is open to caring for a child, please consider fostering to adopt a child in Virginia. By sharing your love and support, you can show a child in need what it feels like to belong to a warm and caring family. You can make a lifetime of health and happiness for a child.

If you’re curious whether fostering to adopt a child is right for you, learn more today. Browse the essential criteria you must meet to gain approval for foster and adoptive parenting in Virginia.

Skills of a Good Foster-to-Adopt Parent

If you want to adopt a foster child in Virginia, decide first whether you've got what it takes. Do you have the essential skills to care for a child in the foster system? Consider these top needed skills to be a good foster and adoptive parent:

Compassion

You will undoubtedly hit bumps along the parenting pathway. It takes patience and compassion to be an excellent foster or adoptive parent.

Kids who spend time in the foster system have experienced loss and trauma. At times, many will act out or have episodes when they feel angry or depressed. It takes time to settle in as a family and adjust to the new lifestyle and each family member's needs.

Your children, both birth kids and adopted, may need time to adjust. Your adopted kids may need more space and time to adjust to your home and house rules. Your patience, kindness, and care will express compassion.

Communication

New adoptive parents and families often struggle with communication. Keeping lines open between you, your child, and your child-placing agency will help make the transition easier. Talking through questions and needs will support your journey to becoming a forever family. In many cases, your breadth of communication will include your and your adopted child's other family members, too.

In your home, sharing individual needs is important. This can help your new young family member and everyone else listen and express themselves. As every family member is responsible to each other, both kids and adults will appreciate sharing their opinions. They will also appreciate being able to negotiate and be part of decision-making that impacts them.

Discipline

Foster children often don’t come into the foster care system from a home with a lot of structure. As a result, it's important to adjust your expectations and put traditional methods of discipline on permanent hold.

Adoptive parents often find it works best to show children you will meet them where they are today. Express your commitment to supporting their needs and the needs of the family. Rolemodel compassion, then recognize and reward good behaviors by giving positive reinforcement.

Children respond to rewards for good behavior. Tactics that rely on strict discipline or punishment can harm kids. This is especially true for those who have faced family trauma and child abuse.

Most kids in the foster system have experienced trauma. The foster system prohibits physical punishment. Therefore, it is best to use rewards for discipline to encourage positive responses.

Flexibility

Being a foster and adoptive parent can be challenging but almost always rewarding beyond imagination. Bringing a new child into your home is not only an adjustment for the child but everyone in the family. Use a flexible approach to rearrange the family routine and individual schedules. You need flexibility as you adapt to a new family dynamic.

Parents are wise to expect the unexpected. This rings true when considering your child's emotional, medical, or physical needs. Remember, time management is a critical success factor. As you watch your child flourish with the loving care they need, it will be worth every ounce of effort.

Stamina

Raising children takes energy and often endurance. If you feel like you’re in a stage of life where you have a lot to give, fostering to adopt may be a wonderful journey. Parenting an adopted child and merging families takes as much energy as parenting your biological children...maybe more.

As you consider fostering to adopt a child, take stock of your energy reserve. Parenting is a life-changing experience and you'll need to keep pace with your child’s changing needs. Raising children is a full-throttle commitment; gratifying and always on!

Rolemodel

Many children who land in foster care do not have good parental or adult rolemodels in their lives. The child you foster to adopt may not have had someone to look up to or guide them in early life goals.

Without good rolemodels, it can be hard for a child to fit in at school or in social settings. They might struggle to form or maintain meaningful friendships and relationships.

As a parent, you can show your child the love that now surrounds them. Living with empathy and support from parents is life-changing for children. When parents protect and prioritize their kids, it makes a lasting difference. You can be the adult your child can rely on to help them experience joy in life.

Requirements for Foster-to-Adopt Parents

At first look, qualifications required to become a foster or adoptive parent in Virginia can feel daunting. While the list is lengthy, your child-placing agency partner is here to help. The list is complete because the guidelines help ensure adults are qualified to care for children in a safe and loving home.

Keep in mind that the process is not to find children for families, but the other way around: to find families for children. Working through the detailed approval process is the first step toward showing the fitness and tenacity to care for your child.

Take it one step at a time. Before you know it, you can complete the approval and licensing process in Virginia. AdoptionVA and Extra Special Parents (ESP) are here to support you at every turn.

Criteria to Determine Eligibility

The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) gives aspiring foster-to-adopt parents a list of eligibility criteria. You will need to meet these criteria to become a foster parent. This list is the same for parents who want to foster or foster-to-adopt a child in Virginia. While state-specific, many states have similar requirements.

If you live in a two-parent household, both parents must meet Virginia's requirements to foster and adopt. To meet requirements in Virginia, you must:

Be at least 18 years old
Attend a free, no-obligation orientation meeting to learn about foster care and adoption
Finish a 40-hour adoption and foster parent training series
Complete the Home Study process. This includes criminal and driving background checks, a safety inspection, and at least one home visit
Participate in three or more face-to-face interviews

Background Checks

Virginia foster and adoptive parents must meet eligibility criteria, including passing background checks and assessments. The state's priority is to ensure children in foster and adoptive care are in family homes that are safe and stable. In families with multiple parents, each must clear background checks before welcoming a foster child during the adoption process.

Background checks include:

Criminal record and background, including fingerprint records
Child abuse and neglect investigation and conviction history
DMV fines and tickets
Doctor's report about physical/emotional fitness to care for a child
Financial proof of stable and sufficient income to provide for your family
Autobiographical life summary statement
Three personal references

Training and Preparation for Foster-to-Adopt Parents

Before you welcome the foster child you plan to adopt, you must first complete 40 hours of required parent training. This training serves three key purposes:

1) It satisfies eligibility requirements in Virginia.

2) It helps you prepare to be a successful foster-to-adopt parent.

3) It ensures the safety of your child during and after their time spent in foster care.

The training for foster and adoptive parents is identical and takes place over five sessions. During training, you will learn about the roles of foster and adoptive parents and social workers. You will also explore different types of care, like kinship care, and understand how to navigate the foster system.

Also important, you will understand the responsibility of caring for foster kids and the need for self-care. Resources for foster and adoptive families include a wide support network with respite care and various support groups.

Each session has a core focal point for training:

Session 1

Orientation is held by your Licensed Child-Placing Agency (LCPA). AdoptionVA aligns with Virginia's foster-to-adopt agency, Extra Special Parents (ESP).

This session will introduce you to your LCPA. Specifically, orientation will cover the ins and outs of the foster care system. The focus will be on the key goals of child welfare. These include preventing neglect, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and maltreatment of children.

During this session, you will learn about developmental delays, including the conditions and experiences that may cause delays. Certain conditions may impact a child's ability to attach to a parent without intervention strategies. The session will also cover the concept of permanence for children in care through stable and safe homes. The concept of permanence includes stability within birth families, in foster homes, or with adoptive forever-families.

As case goals indicate, foster parents will learn how to support reunification for children in foster care. They will understand the goal and process of bringing children back to their birth families. This may include biological parents, another primary caregiver, and sometimes a sibling group. Children in foster care often benefit from being able to visit and maintain strong ties with birth family members.

When foster case managers expect children to return home to their birth families, foster parents must stay prepared for change. Often, a child's status changes quickly as motivated birth parents meet court requirements to reunite. In other cases children's case goals may change, making them eligible for adoption.

When reunification goals change, foster parents who have grown attached can choose to adopt their eligible foster child. For foster-to-adopt parents, the child you welcome will already have an adoption goal. Parents must foster their child for six months before taking steps to finalize the adoption.

Session 2

Childhood grief and loss are the focus of the second session. Children in foster care experience exceptional losses when separated from their birth family and familiar surroundings.

Parents will learn strategies and gain tools to help their children process emotions they may have trouble managing. Grief and loss are common emotions impacting children differently depending on age and circumstances. This session will guide parents in understanding how these feelings may influence children's behavior.

Supportive and stable homes can comfort a child in foster care. Parents will learn ways to understand their child's feelings and cultivate their sense of self. Identity, personal history, family culture, and values are critical parts of how a child sees themselves and others.

Successful foster families respect their child's birth family connection. Their child may also have ties to a previous foster family or other people who've had an impact on their life.

This session discusses why foster parent care is important. It highlights the need for foster parents who wish to provide temporary or adoptive care for children. This session explains why good foster parents keep an open mind and reserve any judgment of their children.

Session 3

Youth development and behavioral interventions are the topics of the third parent training session. Specifically, the session goal is to help you understand options and strategies to effectively address unwanted behaviors.

Parenting perfection is not a requirement, nor is it expected. Children do not come in perfect packages, either. Parents must take a clear and thoughtful approach to parenting. This approach needs to match their child's age and development.

Trainers will guide you through positive behavior management strategies during every stage of human growth and development. The focus is on less intrusive support and crisis management techniques. These methods avoid using physical touch as a means of behavioral discipline.

Remember that many children enter foster care as victims of child abuse or neglect. Others have experienced loss, and most have personal trauma. Foster parents must not use physical, or corporal, punishment on foster children.

Session 4

The next sequence focuses on the foster system's regulatory standards. The training will introduce you to Virginia’s licensing and approval standards, plus the regulation of child-placing agencies. Following this session you'll understand how to comply with federal and state standards for foster care. State protocols ensure that your home will be a safe and stable place for your foster child.

Training will also explain requirements around your child's right to confidentiality. As a foster-to-adopt parent, you will receive details about your child's family separation. This includes their case goals and the recommended supportive care. Foster parents must treat these details as confidential to maintain their child's right to privacy.

Session 5

The final training focuses on understanding the impact of trauma on youth in foster care. Several types of child abuse exist. In this session, you will learn about kinds of abuse, and how to identify and report it. You will learn behaviors often associated with kids in care, especially those who have been victims of abuse.

Children in foster care may have had a tough past. As a parent, there is little more rewarding than seeing your child flourish and grow into their best selves. A safe space to call home and a caring adult build the foundation of trust they need.

Before you can welcome a child into your home, you must complete emergency training. This includes First Aid and CPR training, plus Medication Administration management records (MARs).

If you are willing, you may have the chance to care for a child who needs medical support. Plus, every parent encounters the need for some sort of medical care, such as topical creams or oral antibiotics. The law requires documentation MARs that create a record of doctor's orders for a child in care.

Cost of Fostering to Adopt a Child in Virginia

Most adults who choose to adopt a foster child have a lot of love to give. You probably have a warm heart that hurts at the thought of a child growing up without a family. Still, it's vital to understand the financial impacts of being a foster-to-adopt parent in Virginia.

Like the cost of adopting a child in Virginia, both fostering and adoption require financial stability. This is above the basic financial help offered by the state of Virginia.

Financial Considerations of Becoming a Foster-to-Adopt Family

Aspiring adoptive parents must first become an approved foster parent before moving forward to complete the adoption process. Becoming a foster-to-adopt parent requires little to no cost for the process itself. However, you will incur the costs of preparing your home and life to nurture a child.

The Home Study is the most detailed part of the foster-to-adopt approval process. Among the elements is a home safety inspection. Safety and Home Study elements are the same for people who want to foster as they are for those whose goal is to adopt.

There is no cost for the Home Study itself. However, your specialist will complete a report outlining any changes you need to meet child safety requirements. Outcomes range from no required changes to simple fixes or major repairs.

During the Home Study process, you'll need to be flexible with your schedule. This will help you complete training, interviews, and home visits. These child-focused commitments often require parents to take time off work. For some, taking off work can impact finances.

Some expenses are more fun, like setting up your child's personal space. Focus on decorations and age-appropriate activities that meet your child's needs and interests. If your child is old enough, they may enjoy the activity and bonding opportunity of participating with you. It isn't necessary to go overboard; however, even minor changes may incur some expense.

Emotional Cost

Foster and adoptive parenting can weigh heavily on your mind. Foster and adoptive parents typically want to show their foster child lots of love. Foster parents must keep in mind they may care for their child only for a short time unless the child becomes eligible for adoption.

Not every foster parent seeks to adopt. Yet they may feel grief and loss when their child reunites with their birth family or leaves for an adoptive family home. For adoptive parents, the emotional wave can still be quite high. Imagine the emotion of meeting your child, then adapting as a new family during the foster-to-adopt process.

As a parent of a child in foster care, you must take care of yourself and let your emotions guide you. You also must support the emotional needs of your foster child.

Most foster children experience trauma before coming into care or during separation from their birth family. Children and teens need patience and stability as they settle and grow accustomed to your home and the unknowns ahead.

Financial Assistance for Foster and Adoptive Parents

Different care benefits are available to foster and adoptive parents. Foster program benefits intend to offset the basic costs of childcare, such as food, clothing, and healthcare. They also include tax-free benefits to foster families.

Adoptive families may also qualify for financial assistance through Virginia's Adoption Assistance Program. Your agency partner can guide you through the details. This program helps families who adopt from foster care. It covers certain expenses, like legal fees and other adoption costs.

State Maintenance Payments

State or local agencies provide funding to foster parents in exchange for their support of a foster child. Funding types depend on children's IV-e eligibility. If eligible, federal and state funding grants them. If not, state and local funding assists.

The funding is to help cover basic costs of childcare, such as food and clothing. By contrast, the plan does not intend to cover utility bills, rent, or mortgage payments, and it is not sufficient for that purpose. The monthly payout amount usually depends on the age of the foster child. In Virginia, it uses a sliding scale that increases with age: 0-4, 5-12, and 13+.

Enhanced Maintenance

Every child in foster care has a unique situation and different needs. State funding may not be enough for children who require extra attention and services. Social services provide additional resources in such circumstances.

If you, as a parent feel your child's needs require additional funding, this process is in place for you. To access funds, you can request an evaluation by your Treatment Foster Care agency, such as Extra Special Parents.

Clothing Reimbursement

Clothing is a continuous and evolving expense and need for growing children. Many parents enjoy shopping with and for their children as a symbol of care and affection. Foster parents can receive funding from your agency to help provide foster children with fitting and seasonally needed clothes.

Seasonal clothing items may include winter boots, hats, and gloves. Foster parents can use clothing funds from agencies or social services to provide weather-appropriate clothing for their kids.

Property Damage Fund

Sometimes, foster children who have experienced trauma may act out. This can lead to accidental or intentional damage in your home.

Children may act out because of fear, anger, or mistrust. Emotions tend to run high during the initial days of their stay before they've had a chance to decompress. In exceptional circumstances like these, foster parents have access to a separate allowance for property damages.

Of course, the goal of every parent must be to support your foster child while they grow comfortable. Remember you are never alone on this journey. Foster and adoptive parents have many support options and resources all along this honorable and rewarding parenting path.

Medicaid Qualification

Did you know that every foster child auto-qualifies for Medicaid? This is true whether you already have Medicaid or any other health insurance plan.

As a foster or foster-to-adopt parent, you will never have to worry about having or paying for healthcare while fostering your child. You can focus on caring for your child and rest assured Medicaid covers their physical and emotional needs. Medicaid provides insurance to every foster child, no matter their age or health requirements.

The Department of Social Services will help adoptive families work through ongoing Medicaid assistance options. Every child's situation is unique. Following adoption negotiation, the vast majority of children will continue to receive Medicaid as either primary or secondary insurance.

Home Study Expectations for Foster-to-Adopt Parents

A Home Study helps the foster care agency, court, and representative understand your family life and goals. It looks at your living conditions, lifestyle, and readiness to foster or adopt a child.

A Home Study includes several components to ensure the health and well-being of any child in your care. The process is identical for applicants who plan to foster as it is for those whose goal is to adopt.

Family Member Interviews

Home Study writers will interview you several times before approving you to foster or adopt a child. The interviewer will also spend time talking with your partner and children. This helps evaluators understand your family dynamics and determine whether your home is safe for a child.

Expect to answer questions about your goals for fostering, family life, daily schedule, and other commitments. Your specialist will ask about your preferences, such as age and gender. They will also want to understand your long-term goals, including whether you are fostering to adopt a child. If yes, they'll explore your range of preferences, including whether you'd consider adopting older children or sibling groups.

Health Statements

The Home Study includes proof of health. Foster and adoptive parents must be physically and mentally fit to care for a child. Chronic medical conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure are typically acceptable if you are under a doctor's care.

If you have a personal or family history of mental health issues, you may need to provide additional information. Foster and adoptive parents must pass a physical exam. You need to obtain a doctor's stamp of good health to show your fitness to care for a child.

Proof of Income

Foster parents receive state funding to help care for a foster child. However, you must show stable and sufficient income to support your family without assistance. Foster and adoptive parenting is not about receiving a check. Providing love and care for a child in need must be the motivating factor to foster or adopt a child.

Foster stipends and other tax-deferred financial assistance can be substantial. However, they aim to offset the costs of caring for a child rather than serve as a source of family income.

Background Checks

Aspiring foster-to-adopt parents must undergo a criminal background check that examines local, state, and federal criminal records. The process also flags any history of child abuse. Virginia and most other states require a fingerprint record, too.

Your agency partner will help you complete the paperwork requirements as part of the Home Study process. The goal of the child welfare system and foster care is to provide children with a loving home. Your agency partner will help you meet your adoption goals at every step of the background check and Home Study process.

Autobiographical Statement

The Home Study asks parents to create a statement that supplements family interviews. The statement is another way for your interviewer to get to know you.

Your autobiographical statement describes your life story, including past and present influences. You can write this statement as a letter, create a scrapbook, or use another method that fits your style. Some Home Study specialists will accept social media history as your autobiographical statement.

References

Having at least three verified references is best when becoming a foster-to-adopt parent. Assemble a reference list with names and contact information of non-family members who will vouch for you.

Colleagues, close friends, or community members are acceptable personal references. The Home Study process will include in-person or phone/Zoom interviews with them. The purpose is another check and balance without red flags in your goal to adopt a child from foster care.

Home Visits

Home visits are a final step in the Home Study process. An inspector will follow guidelines to ensure your house meets safety standards to care for a child. During the home visit, inspectors will check for several safety hazards. Unsafe environments can include unsanitary spaces, toxic chemicals, unsecured guns, or other dangers that may pose a threat.

Foster and adoptive homes must meet state approval and licensing standards. Smoke detectors must work, and water must be safe. You must cover pools, and meet other specific safety requirements.

If your home doesn't meet safety standards, the inspector will provide a list of improvements. The prospective foster-to-adopt parent must complete these at their own expense.

Home Visit Checklist

Before starting the Home Study process, you will receive a list of all the things needed to clear your home visit. Your foster agency partner will provide this list.

The home visit checklist includes:

Ensure your home has adequate light, heat, and ventilation
Safely store household cleaning chemicals, dangerous or toxic chemicals or materials
Lock away firearms and projectile weapons, stored in an inoperable condition
Keep ammunition in a separate, locked area
Have an accessible and working telephone
Test to ensure smoke detectors work
Post emergency telephone numbers
Have a working bathroom and private toilet
Install a working smoke detector on every level
Show an accessible written evacuation plan
Clear escape routes of obstacles
Test well water for safety (if applicable)
Safeguard hazardous outdoor areas (such as pools)
Keep the home clean, safe, sanitary, and in reasonable repair
Install safety gates on stairways accessible to children (child's age-appropriate)
Ensure no more than the acceptable number of children sleep in the foster child's bedroom
Make an emergency exit for every bedroom
Check for valid liability coverage on all vehicles used to transport the child
Install booster seats (if applicable)

Fostering or Adopting Medically Fragile Children in Virginia

Medically fragile children in foster care are those who have serious health issues or are failing to thrive. Children might have a chronic health condition or be experiencing an acute health condition. Regardless of the circumstances, these kids are sick and alone. They urgently need a loving parent to care for them and help them feel safe.

When looking for a foster or adoptive home for a medically fragile child, social services prefer experienced families. Often they seek a provider who has cared for someone with medical needs in the past.

Parents who wish to care for a medically fragile child do not need to be medical professionals. Sometimes, these parents have cared for a sick or dying parent, worked in hospice care, or cared for someone in another capacity. If you have some experience, you could receive approval to care for these precious children in Virginia.

You must meet several other criteria to qualify to care for a medically fragile child. Your schedule must be flexible so you can seek emergency or ongoing care when necessary. You must also be a fierce advocate for your medically fragile child. At times parents must overcome institutional bias in the medical system to ensure doctors address their child's medical concerns.

Fostering or Adopting Immigrant Children in Virginia

We are in the midst of a global economic crisis that witnesses children in need across the world. In many cases, families who have entered the United States illegally lose custody of their children. Their children enter the foster care system and need families who will provide a safe and caring home. Sometimes, families can adopt these children through the same legal process as American children in the child welfare system.

We have far more American kids in foster care than we have families to foster or adopt them. Sadly, we have even fewer families who are willing to care for the child of an immigrant.

A process exists to bring a foreign child into the U.S. to provide foster care. Becoming a sponsor can take a long time but the result is worth it. You can keep a child safe, no matter their country of origin. Every child needs an adult they can count on.

Avenues of Adoption Services in Virginia

If you feel ready to be a foster or foster-to-adopt parent, think about the different options available:

Local Department of Social Services

The most common pathway to adoption is through your Local Department of Social Services (LDSS). You can only adopt a child through LDSS if the state holds custody and terminates the child's birth parents' rights.

The main goal of LDSS is to reunite the child with their biological family whenever possible. The industry refers to the term, "reunification."

If a child cannot safely return to their birth family, their goal is to find a forever family with a loving home. This process can take time. Children eligible for adoption must stay in the system for six more months after joining their adoptive family.

Licensed Child-Placing Agencies

Licensed Child Placing Agencies can help you define your preferences, locate, and adopt a child. Like local Departments of Social Services (DSS), they find foster and adoptive families for children in state custody.

Your child-placing agency is a partner who helps you with every step of the foster-to-adopt process. They are the ones who decide if you are ready to be a foster or adoptive parent. If you qualify and meet the licensing requirements, your agency partner will continue to support you. They will provide information, assistance, and the resources you and your child need.

Foster parents have the option to adopt the children if case goals change from reunification to adoption. In foster-to-adopt families, you must have your child live with you for at least six months before you finalize the adoption.

Private Adoption Agencies

Private adoption agencies are a fee-based alternative to adopting a child in Virginia. Through this process, biological parents voluntarily put their child up for placement. This process can be quite expensive, especially when compared to foster-to-adoption.

People who have the means may choose a private agency, especially if they only want an infant. This option lets them specify age and other traits. Through private adoption, adoptive parents review profiles of children whose parents have put them up for adoption. It also allows the biological family to select the family they want to adopt their baby.

Prospective parents considering private adoption need to understand the costs and what happens if circumstances change. This could include defining what will happen if the birth mother changes her mind after she gives birth to the baby.

Adoption Websites

People can choose to adopt their child through adoption websites, such as Family-Match or AdoptUSKids. While skeptics question whether they are legitimate, these options are viable paths to adoption.

Adoption sites typically require prospective foster and adoptive parents to create a profile on the site. Families who plan to give their child up for adoption can review the profiles and request a match.

The options can seem daunting and raise a lot of questions. The good news is that foster and adoption advocates at Virginia child-placing agencies are here to answer questions. You do not need to pay a fee or make a commitment to ask an adoption specialist for help understanding your options. They can walk you through the pros and cons in the context of your personal family goals.

Disqualifications for Fostering or Adopting a Child in Virginia

To become a foster or adoptive parent in Virginia, you must meet certain requirements. However, some factors can disqualify you from caring for a child in foster care:

Training Requirements Not Met

Parent training is a vital part of becoming a competent and successful parent to a child in foster care. Failing to complete the 40-hour mandatory parent training hours will disqualify you from fostering or adopting a child.

If you complete training, you might still face disqualification. To gain approval, during training you must show that you can follow instructions and exercise good judgment.

Income Requirements Not Met

You must meet requirements to have a stable and sufficient source of income. To foster or adopt a child, you need to show that you can financially support a child without state funding. State financial assistance helps with basic childcare needs, and does not function as a source of income.

This financial assistance aims to support foster and adoptive families. This program is for parents who truly want to care for vulnerable young people in the foster care system.

Mentally or Physically Incompetent

Parenting is a high-responsibility and time-consuming role. Adjusting to the sudden demands of integrating children into foster care can be even harder.

Many kids and teens in foster care have faced trauma from their birth family or main caregiver before entering the system. Even the least impacted may experience grief and loss during the stress and uncertainty that accompanies family separation.

Young people may have bigger emotions than they know how to handle. This can mean acting out or requiring extra support and attention, especially when they first arrive in your home. Foster and adoptive parents must have patience and stamina to give space, time, and support.

You can only offer this level of support if you are mentally and physically competent. If you have an emotional disorder, you may struggle to focus and provide adequate care for a child in crisis.

Unsafe Home Environment

If you cannot or will not meet the required safety standards, the inspector will find your home unsafe. Your inspector will give you a list of actions to take. These steps will help bring your home up to standard before you welcome a child.

False Information

One of the worst things you can do when applying to be a foster parent in Virginia is give false information to social services. This includes any information, from falsifying medical statements to providing false income statements. The department will validate your information through background checks, references, and other process research. Being honest, straightforward, and transparent is the best course.

Criminal Conviction Record

If you or anyone in your home has a criminal record for child abuse, you cannot foster or adopt a child.

The Department of Social Services takes matters of child neglect and abuse extremely seriously. Time doesn't matter; if a court convicts you of this offense, it stays on your record forever. This conviction automatically disqualifies you from fostering or adopting a child.

Looking Forward to Adopting a Foster Child

Only you can evaluate whether you feel ready and excited about pursuing an adoption journey. Do you trust yourself to provide the patience, space, and kindness of heart that a child needs from their parent? Can you fully support your child's every opportunity to grow into their full potential? If yes, it is likely social services will approve your readiness, as well.

If you have questions and want to learn more about the process, reach us today. AdoptionVA and the advocates at Extra Special Parents (ESP) are here to help and guide you every step of the way.