Norfolk Adoption - Agencies, Foster Care, Home Study Info

Norfolk, VA
As a prospective adoptive or birth parent in Norfolk, you likely have many questions about how to adopt or place a baby for adoption in Virginia. Fortunately, there are plenty of local adoption professionals available to assist you through the adoption process and answer any questions you might have about adoption in Norfolk.
Visit our How to Adopt in Virginia page to learn more about adoption throughout the state.

Norfolk Adoption Agencies and Adoption Professionals

One of the first steps in the adoption process is to choose an adoption professional. Adoption professionals, such as agencies or attorneys, work with expectant mothers and adoptive parents to complete the adoption from start to finish.
Some prospective birth parents and adoptive families prefer to work with local agencies. The following adoption professionals are located in the Hampton Roads metro area and have experience completing local adoptions:

Adoptions from the Heart
Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia
Graceful Adoptions
Jewish Family Service of Tidewater

How to Become a Foster Parent in Norfolk

To become a foster parent or adopt a foster child in Norfolk, you must meet certain state requirements. In addition to completing a home study, prospective foster parents must attend an orientation meeting and complete training.
More information about becoming a foster parent in Virginia is available on our state page, through your local department of social services or through the following foster agencies and resources:

Norfolk Department of Human Services
United Methodist Family Services
The Up Center

Find additional nearby foster care resources in Virginia Beach and throughout the rest of the state.

Home Study Providers in Norfolk

Whether you’re growing your family through private adoption or foster care, the home study is one of the most important parts of the process for prospective parents. The Virginia home study includes a series of interviews, home visits, criminal records checks and more.
It is important to choose the right professional to complete your adoption home study and ensure it complies with all state laws and requirements. To get started, contact a licensed home study provider in your area:
Near Norfolk:

Adoptions from the Heart
1-888-630-8842
Adoptions from the Heart provides home study services to families seeking private domestic adoption and international adoption.
Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia
757-456-2366
Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia provides adoption services to birth parents and adoptive families, including home study services.

In Virginia:

Loving Families
703-370-7140
Adoption Home Studies by Loving Families, Inc., is a small child-placing agency that will work with your placing agency to complete your home study within five to six weeks.
Cradle of Hope Adoption Center
703-352-4806
Cradle of Hope Adoption Center is a licensed, nonprofit, Hague-accredited adoption agency providing home study, placement and post-placement adoption services to families adopting domestically and internationally.

Visit 1800HomeStudy.com to learn more about Virginia home study providers.

Hospitals in Norfolk

One of the most emotional parts of the adoption process, both for birth parents and adoptive families, is the time spent in the hospital when the baby is born. It is entirely up to the birth mother to decide how she would like her hospital stay to go.
If you are making an adoption plan for your baby, you will work with your adoption professional and your delivery hospital to ensure everything happens exactly as you want it to. When you are ready to begin creating your hospital plan, here are some Norfolk area hospitals that may be able to assist you:

Sentara Norfolk General Hospital
600 Gresham Drive
Norfolk, VA 23507
757-388-3000
Sentara Leigh Hospital
830 Kempsville Road
Norfolk, VA 23502
757-261-6700
The DePaul Center for Birth
150 Kinglsey Lane
Norfolk, VA 23505
757-889-BABY
The Midwifery Center at DePaul
100 Kinglsey Lane, Suite 400
Norfolk, VA 23505
757-451-0929

For more hospitals in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, visit our Virginia Beach adoption page.

Adoption Laws and Qualifications

Adoptive and birth parents in Norfolk often have questions about local adoption laws and regulations. Norfolk adoptions are regulated by state adoption laws. The following provides an overview of the types of statutes impacting birth parents and adoptive families in Norfolk.
Adoption Laws for Birth Parents
Consent is one of the most important aspects of the legal adoption process for prospective birth parents. According to Virginia law, birth mothers can consent to adoption three days after the child’s birth, while birth fathers can consent before the baby is born. More information about the rules and regulations of executing consent in Virginia is available on our state information page.
Laws for Adoptive Families
State laws impact many aspects of the adoption process for adoptive families, from the types of adoption professionals they can work with to the adoption expenses they can pay. This information, along with other Virginia adoption laws and home study information, can be found here.
County Courts
At the end of the adoption process, every adoption must be legally finalized in court. If you are adopting in Norfolk, Virginia, find information about finalizing your adoption in your county:

Things to do in Norfolk

If you are adopting a child from the Norfolk area, you may find yourself spending some time in the city, either visiting prospective birth parents or waiting for ICPC clearances. Here are some fun local attractions to visit if you are looking for ways to spend your time in Norfolk:

Norfolk Adoption & Foster Care Resources