{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/51.5-144.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/51.5-144.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/51.5-144.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/51.5-144.html"}],"law_id":64687,"edition_id":1,"section_id":64687,"structure_id":15349,"section_number":"51.5-144","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"2012, cc. 803, 835.","full_text":"As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Adult” means an individual who is 18 years of age or older, or under the age of 18 years if legally emancipated.\n\t\t“Adult foster care” means room and board, supervision, and special services to an adult who has a physical or mental condition. Adult foster care may be provided by a single provider for up to three adults.\n\t\t“Adult services” means services that are provided by local departments of social services to an adult with an impairment.\n\t\t“Adult with an impairment” means an adult whose physical or mental capacity is diminished to the extent that he needs counseling or supervisory assistance or assistance with activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":235433,"text":"As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Adult” means an individual who is 18 years of age or older, or under the age of 18 years if legally emancipated.\n\t\t“Adult foster care” means room and board, supervision, and special services to an adult who has a physical or mental condition. Adult foster care may be provided by a single provider for up to three adults.\n\t\t“Adult services” means services that are provided by local departments of social services to an adult with an impairment.\n\t\t“Adult with an impairment” means an adult whose physical or mental capacity is diminished to the extent that he needs counseling or supervisory assistance or assistance with activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15349,"edition_id":1,"name":"Adult Services","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12945,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:54:09","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:54:09","permalink":{"id":236907,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15349,"identifier":"4","token":"51.5\/14\/4","url":"\/51.5\/14\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12945,"edition_id":1,"name":"Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services","identifier":"14","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12761,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:03","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:03","permalink":{"id":236679,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12945,"identifier":"14","token":"51.5\/14","url":"\/51.5\/14\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12761,"edition_id":1,"name":"Persons With Disabilities","identifier":"51.5","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":236393,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12761,"identifier":"51.5","token":"51.5","url":"\/51.5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":64687,"structure_id":15349,"section_number":"51.5-144","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/51.5-144\/","token":"51.5\/14\/4\/51.5-144","metadata":false},{"id":64059,"structure_id":15349,"section_number":"51.5-145","catch_line":"Responsibility of the Department for adult services","url":"\/51.5-145\/","token":"51.5\/14\/4\/51.5-145","metadata":false},{"id":86485,"structure_id":15349,"section_number":"51.5-146","catch_line":"Adult services","url":"\/51.5-146\/","token":"51.5\/14\/4\/51.5-146","metadata":false},{"id":58424,"structure_id":15349,"section_number":"51.5-147","catch_line":"Appeal to Commissioner regarding home-based and adult foster care services","url":"\/51.5-147\/","token":"51.5\/14\/4\/51.5-147","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":64059,"structure_id":15349,"section_number":"51.5-145","catch_line":"Responsibility of the Department for adult services","url":"\/51.5-145\/","token":"51.5\/14\/4\/51.5-145","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/51.5-144\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2012. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters 803<\/a> and 835<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":[{"id":62128,"section_number":"51.5-120","catch_line":"Cooperation of Department with other state departments","order_by":null,"url":"\/51.5-120\/"},{"id":80461,"section_number":"51.5-122","catch_line":"Confidential records and information concerning adult services and adult protective services; penalty","order_by":null,"url":"\/51.5-122\/"},{"id":72379,"section_number":"63.2-100","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-100\/"},{"id":62375,"section_number":"63.2-1600","catch_line":"Home-based services","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1600\/"},{"id":82105,"section_number":"63.2-1601","catch_line":"Authority to provide adult foster care services","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1601\/"},{"id":85202,"section_number":"63.2-1602","catch_line":"Other adult services","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1602\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":236909,"object_type":"law","relational_id":64687,"identifier":"51.5-144","token":"51.5\/14\/4\/51.5-144","url":"\/51.5-144\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/51.5-144\/","token":"51.5\/14\/4\/51.5-144","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 51.5-144","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Adult” means an individual who is 18 years of age or older, or under the age of 18 years if legally emancipated.\n\t\t“Adult foster care<\/span>” means room and board, supervision, and special services to an adult who has a physical or mental condition. Adult foster care<\/span> may be provided by a single provider for up to three adults<\/span>.\n\t\t“Adult services<\/span>” means services that are provided by local departments<\/span> of social services to an adult with an impairment<\/span>.\n\t\t“Adult with an impairment<\/span>” means an adult whose physical or mental capacity is diminished to the extent that he needs counseling or supervisory assistance or assistance with activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 51.5-144)\n\nAs used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Adult” means an individual who is 18 years of age or older, or\nunder the age of 18 years if legally emancipated.\n\t\t“Adult foster care” means room and board, supervision, and special\nservices to an adult who has a physical or mental condition. Adult foster care\nmay be provided by a single provider for up to three adults.\n\t\t“Adult services” means services that are provided by local\ndepartments of social services to an adult with an impairment.\n\t\t“Adult with an impairment” means an adult whose physical or mental\ncapacity is diminished to the extent that he needs counseling or supervisory\nassistance or assistance with activities of daily living or instrumental\nactivities of daily living.\n\nHISTORY: 2012, cc. 803, 835.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}