Richmond Adoption & Foster Care Resources

Whether you are interested in adoption as an expectant mother or a prospective adoptive parent in Richmond, Virginia, the following information will tell you everything you need to know about the adoption process. Read on for more information about local adoption and foster care professionals, home study providers and other Richmond adoption and foster care services. For more information about state adoption laws, resources and processes, visit our Adoption in Virginia page.

Richmond Adoption Agencies and Adoption Professionals

Pregnant women and adoptive families have many options when choosing an adoption professional, from national agencies to adoption attorneys. If you are interested in working with an adoption professional in the Richmond area, here are some local adoption professionals near you:

• Children’s Home Society of Virginia
• Jewish Family Services
• C2Adopt

Find more adoption professionals, along with other adoption information, on our Virginia adoption page.  

Richmond Foster Care Resources

The process and requirements to become a foster parent are determined by state laws. In Virginia, a prospective foster parent should attend an orientation meeting and complete a home study and foster parent training. The professionals and resources below can provide additional information about becoming a foster parent in Richmond:

• Richmond Department of Social Services
• Premier Therapeutic Foster Care
• Intercept Youth Services
• UMFS
• First Home Care
• Lutheran Family Services of Virginia
• Extra Special Parents

Find additional information through our Virginia adoption information page, or contact the department of social services.

Home Study Providers in Richmond

The home study is an important part of the adoption and foster care process in Richmond. The Virginia home study is a mutual assessment and educational process that evaluates prospective parents and ensures they are ready to add to their family through adoption. Information about the Virginia home study is included on our Virginia adoption page. To begin the home study process, contact a qualified professional near you: Near Richmond:

• 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.

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.

• 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.

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

Hospitals in Richmond

As an expectant mother making an adoption plan, you will have an opportunity to plan your hospital stay as your due date approaches. This plan will outline how you want the labor and delivery to go and who you want to share the experience with. Your adoption professional will work with you, the adoptive family and the delivery hospital to ensure everyone is aware of your hospital plan when the big day comes. Here are some Richmond area hospitals that you may be working with:

• Chippenham Hospital 7101 Jahnke Rd. Richmond, VA 23225 804-320-3911

• Henrico Doctors’ Hospital 1602 Skipwith Rd. Richmond, VA 23229 804-289-4500

• Johnston-Willis Hospital 1401 Johnston-Willis Dr. Richmond, VA 23235 804-330-2000

• VCU Health 1250 East Marshall Street Richmond, VA 23298 804-828-5021

• Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital 5801 Bremo Road Richmond, VA 23226 804-340-BABY (2229)

• Memorial Regional Medical Center 8260 Atlee Road Mechanicsville, VA 23116 804-340-BABY (2229)

• St. Francis Medical Center 13710 St. Francis Boulevard Midlothian, VA 23114 804-340-BABY (2229)

Adoption Laws and Qualifications

Adoption is a legal process, and couples and individuals considering adoption should work closely with an adoption professional to understand Virginia adoption laws and qualifications. Read on to learn more about adoption requirements for birth parents and adoptive families in Richmond and throughout the state. For Birth Parents To legally complete an adoption, birth parents must sign paperwork relinquishing their parental rights after the child is born. Information about executing consent, along with other birth parent rights and legal responsibilities, is available on our Adoption in Virginia page. For Adoptive Families Prospective parents in Virginia must meet certain state criteria and follow laws regulating adoption finalization, adoption expenses and more. Information about these and other adoption and foster care laws is available here. County Courts Before an adoption is legally complete, it must be finalized in court. Your adoption attorney will work with you to ensure your adoption is finalized legally. To finalize an adoption in the Greater Richmond Region, find your county information below:

• Amelia County
• Caroline County
• Charles City County
• Chesterfield County
• Dinwiddie County
• Goochland County
• Hanover County
• Henrico County
• King William County
• Powhatan County
• Prince George County
• Sussex County

Things to Do in Richmond

If you are adopting from out of state, you will be required to stay in Virginia for a week or two until your ICPC paperwork is processed. If you find yourself waiting for ICPC approval or visiting prospective birth parents in the Richmond area, here are some local attractions to keep you busy during your stay:

• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
• Maymont
• Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
• Hollywood Cemetery
• Virginia Capitol Building
• Edgar Allan Poe Museum