Dear Friend,

Congratulations! You’ve made your first step toward adopting or fostering children in the United States. We appreciate your response to the AdoptUsKids national campaign and are pleased that you have chosen to inquire about services. We are glad to assist you with getting started.

Licensing Requirements for Foster or Adoption

Prospective parents in Virginia can be single or married. Some families have birth children, and some don’t. Virginia families don't have to be wealthy to be approved to adopt or provide foster care for a child. All that's necessary is for them to have sufficient financial resources to provide adequate care for a child and to meet the family’s financial responsibilities. Families don’t have to own a home either; they can be renters.

The minimum age to become an adoptive or foster family is 21. There is no maximum age, although many agencies prefer to keep no more than a 45-year difference between the child and the younger parent.

According to state regulations, Virginia families who want to become adoptive or foster care families must complete a minimum of 27 hours of training.

Also, please note that if you are considering a domestic adoption, you don’t have to be a U.S. citizen, but you must be a legal resident in the country.

View additional Foster Care and Adoption information.

Does it Cost to Foster or Adopt?

There are no fees involved when adopting or fostering a child through your local Department of Social Services.

However, when working with private agencies, there will be fees. Fees may be applied based on a sliding scale according to your family income. There is no state cap for fees in Virginia, so private agencies are free to set their fees upon their discretion.

In many cases, the child’s state may reimburse families or pay directly to the agency for some or all the fees associated with the placement and finalization of adoption.

If you choose to complete your adoption using the services of an attorney, you will be responsible for paying legal fees and courts costs.

When adopting a special needs child, Virginia families are eligible for a Federal Tax Credit once their adoption has been finalized. This tax credit is intended to help families with the expenses associated with their adoption. The state of Virginia also provides families with a state Tax Credit.

Parent Support Groups

To view a list of Parent Support Groups in Virginia, please:

• 1. Visit the Child Welfare Information Gateway's National Foster Care & Adoption Directory.
• 2. In the list of states, choose Virginia. In the list of categories, check the box for “Foster Care and Adoption Support Groups”, and click the “Go” button.

Agency Contact and Orientation Information

Choosing an agency can some times be confusing, but is one of the most important steps of this process. You must decide whether you prefer to work with a public or private agency. The best way to decide which agency is best for you and your family is by contacting some of them directly and attending their information sessions or orientations.

There are over 121 Department of Social Services locations and 76 licensed private agencies throughout the state of Virginia. For a complete list of agencies, please contact us, and we will send you an agency referral list.

View a complete list of Virginia Licensed Private Agencies.

View a list of Virginia Department of Social Services offices.

Please keep in mind that there is no universal orientation provided by the state of Virginia. If you wish to attend an orientation meeting, you must contact the agencies that you are interested in working with and get the orientation schedules directly from them.

Information on Children

There are 7,022 children in foster care in Virginia; 1,822 of these children are waiting for adoptive families.