{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/63.2-1229.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/63.2-1229.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/63.2-1229.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/63.2-1229.html"}],"law_id":84546,"edition_id":1,"section_id":84546,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1229","catch_line":"Foster parent adoption","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 63-348; 1952, c. 550; 1954, c. 489; 1956, c. 300; 1964, c. 459; 1968, c. 578, \u00a7 63.1-221; 1970, c. 672; 1973, c. 406; 1975, c. 461; 1978, c. 730; 1983, c. 614; 1988, c. 882; 1989, c. 647; 1991, cc. 76, 602; 1995, cc. 772, 826; 2000, c. 830, \u00a7 63.1-219.36; 2002, c. 747; 2007, cc. 606, 623; 2018, c. 94.","full_text":"When a foster parent who has a child placed in the foster parents’ home by a licensed or duly authorized child-placing agency desires to adopt the child and (i) the child-placing agency holding custody of the child consents to the adoption after the child has resided in the home of such foster parent continuously for at least six months or the child-placing agency holding custody of the child does not consent to the adoption and the child has resided in the home of such foster parent continuously for at least 18 months and (ii) the birth parents’ rights to the child have been terminated, the circuit court shall accept the petition filed by the foster parent and shall order a thorough investigation of the matter to be made pursuant to \u00a7 63.2-1208. The circuit court may refer the matter for investigation to a licensed or duly authorized child-placing agency other than the agency holding custody of the child. Upon completion of the investigation and report and filing of the consent of the agency holding custody of the child, or upon the finding contemplated by \u00a7 63.2-1205, the circuit court may enter a final order of adoption waiving visitation requirements, if the circuit court determines that the adoption is in the best interests of the child.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":302990,"text":"When a foster parent who has a child placed in the foster parents’ home by a licensed or duly authorized child-placing agency desires to adopt the child and (i) the child-placing agency holding custody of the child consents to the adoption after the child has resided in the home of such foster parent continuously for at least six months or the child-placing agency holding custody of the child does not consent to the adoption and the child has resided in the home of such foster parent continuously for at least 18 months and (ii) the birth parents’ rights to the child have been terminated, the circuit court shall accept the petition filed by the foster parent and shall order a thorough investigation of the matter to be made pursuant to \u00a7 63.2-1208. The circuit court may refer the matter for investigation to a licensed or duly authorized child-placing agency other than the agency holding custody of the child. Upon completion of the investigation and report and filing of the consent of the agency holding custody of the child, or upon the finding contemplated by \u00a7 63.2-1205, the circuit court may enter a final order of adoption waiving visitation requirements, if the circuit court determines that the adoption is in the best interests of the child.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15572,"edition_id":1,"name":"Agency Adoptions","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14096,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:56:26","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:56:26","permalink":{"id":271487,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15572,"identifier":"2","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2","url":"\/63.2\/III\/12\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14096,"edition_id":1,"name":"Adoption","identifier":"12","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13897,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:52","permalink":{"id":271365,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14096,"identifier":"12","token":"63.2\/III\/12","url":"\/63.2\/III\/12\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13897,"edition_id":1,"name":"Social Services Programs","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12789,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:14","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:14","permalink":{"id":271331,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13897,"identifier":"III","token":"63.2\/III","url":"\/63.2\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12789,"edition_id":1,"name":"Welfare (Social Services)","identifier":"63.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":270661,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12789,"identifier":"63.2","token":"63.2","url":"\/63.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":87110,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1221","catch_line":"Placement of children for adoption by agency or local board","url":"\/63.2-1221\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1221","metadata":false},{"id":80789,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1222","catch_line":"Execution of entrustment agreement by birth parent(s); exceptions; notice and objection to entrustment; copy required to be furnished; requirement for agencies outside the Commonwealth","url":"\/63.2-1222\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1222","metadata":false},{"id":66503,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1223","catch_line":"Revocation of entrustment agreement","url":"\/63.2-1223\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1223","metadata":false},{"id":66793,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1224","catch_line":"Explanation of process, legal effects of adoption required","url":"\/63.2-1224\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1224","metadata":false},{"id":74467,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1225","catch_line":"Determination of appropriate home","url":"\/63.2-1225\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1225","metadata":false},{"id":59404,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1226","catch_line":"When birth parents recommend adoptive parents","url":"\/63.2-1226\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1226","metadata":false},{"id":75367,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1227","catch_line":"Filing of petition for agency adoption","url":"\/63.2-1227\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1227","metadata":false},{"id":73962,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1228","catch_line":"Forwarding of petition","url":"\/63.2-1228\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1228","metadata":false},{"id":76967,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1228.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/63.2-1228.1\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1228.1","metadata":false},{"id":84546,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1229","catch_line":"Foster parent adoption","url":"\/63.2-1229\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1229","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":76967,"structure_id":15572,"section_number":"63.2-1228.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/63.2-1228.1\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1228.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/63.2-1229\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 18 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1952, chapter 550; in 1954, chapter 489; in 1956, chapter 300; in 1964, chapter 459; in 1968, chapter 578; in 1970, chapter 672; in 1973, chapter 406; in 1975, chapter 461; in 1978, chapter 730; in 1983, chapter 614; in 1988, chapter 882; in 1989, chapter 647; in 1991, chapters 76 and 602; in 1995, chapters 772<\/a> and 826<\/a>; in 2000, chapter 830<\/a>; in 2002, chapter 747<\/a>; in 2007, chapters 606<\/a> and 623<\/a>; in 2018, chapter 94<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":75979,"section_number":"63.2-1205","catch_line":"Best interests of the child; standards for determining","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1205\/"},{"id":58081,"section_number":"63.2-1208","catch_line":"Investigations; report to circuit court","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1208\/"}],"permalink":{"id":271525,"object_type":"law","relational_id":84546,"identifier":"63.2-1229","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1229","url":"\/63.2-1229\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/63.2-1229\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/2\/63.2-1229","dublin_core":{"Title":"Foster parent adoption","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 63.2-1229","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

When a foster parent who has a child<\/span> placed in the foster parents’ home by a licensed or duly authorized child<\/span>-placing agency<\/span> desires to adopt the child<\/span> and (i) the child<\/span>-placing agency<\/span> holding custody<\/span> of the child<\/span> consents to the adoption after the child<\/span> has resided in the home of such foster parent continuously for at least six months or the child<\/span>-placing agency<\/span> holding custody<\/span> of the child<\/span> does not consent to the adoption and the child<\/span> has resided in the home of such foster parent continuously for at least 18 months and (ii) the birth parents<\/span>’ rights to the child<\/span> have been terminated, the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> shall accept the petition<\/span> filed by the foster parent and shall order a thorough investigation of the matter to be made pursuant to \u00a7 63.2-1208<\/a>. The circuit<\/span> court<\/span> may refer the matter for investigation to a licensed or duly authorized child<\/span>-placing agency<\/span> other than the agency holding custody<\/span> of the child<\/span>. Upon completion of the investigation and report and filing of the consent of the agency holding custody<\/span> of the child<\/span>, or upon the finding<\/span> contemplated by \u00a7 63.2-1205<\/a>, the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> may enter a final order<\/span> of adoption waiving visitation requirements, if the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> determines that the adoption is in the best interests of the child<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nFOSTER PARENT ADOPTION (\u00a7 63.2-1229)\n\nWhen a foster parent who has a child placed in the foster parents’ home by\na licensed or duly authorized child-placing agency desires to adopt the child\nand (i) the child-placing agency holding custody of the child consents to the\nadoption after the child has resided in the home of such foster parent\ncontinuously for at least six months or the child-placing agency holding custody\nof the child does not consent to the adoption and the child has resided in the\nhome of such foster parent continuously for at least 18 months and (ii) the\nbirth parents’ rights to the child have been terminated, the circuit court\nshall accept the petition filed by the foster parent and shall order a thorough\ninvestigation of the matter to be made pursuant to \u00a7 63.2-1208. The circuit\ncourt may refer the matter for investigation to a licensed or duly authorized\nchild-placing agency other than the agency holding custody of the child. Upon\ncompletion of the investigation and report and filing of the consent of the\nagency holding custody of the child, or upon the finding contemplated by \u00a7\n63.2-1205, the circuit court may enter a final order of adoption waiving\nvisitation requirements, if the circuit court determines that the adoption is in\nthe best interests of the child.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 63-348; 1952, c. 550; 1954, c. 489; 1956, c. 300; 1964,\nc. 459; 1968, c. 578, \u00a7 63.1-221; 1970, c. 672; 1973, c. 406; 1975, c. 461;\n1978, c. 730; 1983, c. 614; 1988, c. 882; 1989, c. 647; 1991, cc. 76, 602; 1995,\ncc. 772, 826; 2000, c. 830, \u00a7 63.1-219.36; 2002, c. 747; 2007, cc. 606, 623;\n2018, c. 94.","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}}