{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/63.2-1235.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/63.2-1235.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/63.2-1235.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/63.2-1235.html"}],"law_id":55223,"edition_id":1,"section_id":55223,"structure_id":14097,"section_number":"63.2-1235","catch_line":"Adoptive home not in child’s best interests","history":"1989, c. 647, \u00a7 63.1-220.3; 1991, cc. 364, 602; 1992, c. 125; 1993, cc. 338, 553; 1995, cc. 772, 826; 1999, c. 1028; 2000, c. 830, \u00a7 63.1-219.42; 2002, c. 747.","full_text":"If the juvenile and domestic relations district court determines from the information provided to it that placement in the prospective adoptive home will be contrary to the best interests of the child, it shall so inform the birth parents. If the birth parents choose not to retain custody of the child nor to designate other prospective adoptive parents, or if the birth parents’ whereabouts are not reasonably ascertainable, the juvenile and domestic relations district court shall determine custody of the child.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":202503,"text":"If the juvenile and domestic relations district court determines from the information provided to it that placement in the prospective adoptive home will be contrary to the best interests of the child, it shall so inform the birth parents. If the birth parents choose not to retain custody of the child nor to designate other prospective adoptive parents, or if the birth parents’ whereabouts are not reasonably ascertainable, the juvenile and domestic relations district court shall determine custody of the child.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14097,"edition_id":1,"name":"Parental Placement Adoptions","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14096,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:52","permalink":{"id":271529,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14097,"identifier":"3","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/3","url":"\/63.2\/III\/12\/3\/","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":63566,"structure_id":14097,"section_number":"63.2-1230","catch_line":"Placement of children by parent or guardian","url":"\/63.2-1230\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/3\/63.2-1230","metadata":false},{"id":82655,"structure_id":14097,"section_number":"63.2-1231","catch_line":"Home study; meeting required; exception","url":"\/63.2-1231\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/3\/63.2-1231","metadata":false},{"id":75426,"structure_id":14097,"section_number":"63.2-1232","catch_line":"Requirements of a parental placement adoption; exception","url":"\/63.2-1232\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/3\/63.2-1232","metadata":false},{"id":69788,"structure_id":14097,"section_number":"63.2-1233","catch_line":"Consent to be executed in juvenile and domestic relations district court; exceptions","url":"\/63.2-1233\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/3\/63.2-1233","metadata":false},{"id":80402,"structure_id":14097,"section_number":"63.2-1234","catch_line":"When consent is revocable","url":"\/63.2-1234\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/3\/63.2-1234","metadata":false},{"id":55223,"structure_id":14097,"section_number":"63.2-1235","catch_line":"Adoptive home not in child's best interests","url":"\/63.2-1235\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/3\/63.2-1235","metadata":false},{"id":76454,"structure_id":14097,"section_number":"63.2-1236","catch_line":"Duty of Department to disseminate information","url":"\/63.2-1236\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/3\/63.2-1236","metadata":false},{"id":79340,"structure_id":14097,"section_number":"63.2-1237","catch_line":"Petition for parental placement adoption; jurisdiction; contents","url":"\/63.2-1237\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/3\/63.2-1237","metadata":false},{"id":63654,"structure_id":14097,"section_number":"63.2-1238","catch_line":"Forwarding of petition; when investigation and report not required","url":"\/63.2-1238\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/3\/63.2-1238","metadata":false},{"id":71186,"structure_id":14097,"section_number":"63.2-1239","catch_line":"Return of copies furnished to counsel","url":"\/63.2-1239\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/3\/63.2-1239","metadata":false},{"id":78297,"structure_id":14097,"section_number":"63.2-1240","catch_line":"Court issuing order deemed sending agency under Interstate Compact on Placement of Children","url":"\/63.2-1240\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/3\/63.2-1240","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":80402,"structure_id":14097,"section_number":"63.2-1234","catch_line":"When consent is revocable","url":"\/63.2-1234\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/3\/63.2-1234","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":76454,"structure_id":14097,"section_number":"63.2-1236","catch_line":"Duty of Department to disseminate information","url":"\/63.2-1236\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/3\/63.2-1236","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/63.2-1235\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1989. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 647 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. Unfortunately, the 1989 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 7 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 1991, chapters 364 and 602; in 1992, chapter 125; in 1993, chapters 338 and 553; in 1995, chapters 772<\/a> and 826<\/a>; in 1999, chapter 1028<\/a>; in 2000, chapter 830<\/a>; in 2002, chapter 747<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":271551,"object_type":"law","relational_id":55223,"identifier":"63.2-1235","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/3\/63.2-1235","url":"\/63.2-1235\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/63.2-1235\/","token":"63.2\/III\/12\/3\/63.2-1235","dublin_core":{"Title":"Adoptive home not in child’s best interests","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 63.2-1235","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

If the juvenile and domestic relations district court<\/span> determines from the information provided to it that placement in the prospective adoptive home<\/span> will be contrary to the best interests of the child<\/span>, it shall so inform the birth parents<\/span>. If the birth parents<\/span> choose not to retain custody<\/span> of the child<\/span> nor to designate other prospective adoptive parents, or if the birth parents<\/span>’ whereabouts are not reasonably ascertainable, the juvenile and domestic relations district court<\/span> shall determine custody<\/span> of the child<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nADOPTIVE HOME NOT IN CHILD’S BEST INTERESTS (\u00a7 63.2-1235)\n\nIf the juvenile and domestic relations district court determines from the\ninformation provided to it that placement in the prospective adoptive home will\nbe contrary to the best interests of the child, it shall so inform the birth\nparents. If the birth parents choose not to retain custody of the child nor to\ndesignate other prospective adoptive parents, or if the birth parents’\nwhereabouts are not reasonably ascertainable, the juvenile and domestic\nrelations district court shall determine custody of the child.\n\nHISTORY: 1989, c. 647, \u00a7 63.1-220.3; 1991, cc. 364, 602; 1992, c. 125; 1993,\ncc. 338, 553; 1995, cc. 772, 826; 1999, c. 1028; 2000, c. 830, \u00a7 63.1-219.42;\n2002, c. 747.","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}}