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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>74001</law_id><section_number>16.1-283.1</section_number><catch_line>Authority to enter into voluntary post-adoption contact and communication agreement</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-277.01</reference><reference>16.1-277.02</reference><reference>16.1-278.3</reference><reference>63.2-1220.3</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="16.1">Courts Not of Record</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="11">Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="9">Disposition</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> In any case in which (i) a child has been placed in foster care as a result of (a) <span class="dictionary">court</span> commitment, (b) an entrustment agreement entered into by the <span class="dictionary">parent</span> or <span class="dictionary">parents</span>, or (c) other voluntary relinquishment by the <span class="dictionary">parent</span> or <span class="dictionary">parents</span>; (ii) the <span class="dictionary">parent</span> or <span class="dictionary">parents</span> have voluntarily consented to the adoption of the child; or (iii) the parental rights of the <span class="dictionary">parent</span> or <span class="dictionary">parents</span> have been involuntarily terminated, the child&#x2019;s birth <span class="dictionary">parent</span> or <span class="dictionary">parents</span> may enter into a written post-adoption contact and communication agreement with the pre-adoptive <span class="dictionary">parent</span> or <span class="dictionary">parents</span> as provided in Article 1.1 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Authority to enter into post-adoption contact and communication agreements" href="/63.2-1220.2/">63.2-1220.2</a> et seq.) of Chapter 12 of Title 63.2. Unless the parental rights of the birth <span class="dictionary">parent</span> or <span class="dictionary">parents</span> have been terminated pursuant to subsection E of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Termination of residual parental rights" href="/16.1-283/">16.1-283</a>, a local board of social services or <span class="dictionary">child welfare agency</span> required to file a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> for a permanency planning <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Permanency planning hearing for children in foster care" href="/16.1-282.1/">16.1-282.1</a> may inform the birth <span class="dictionary">parent</span> or <span class="dictionary">parents</span> and shall inform the adoptive <span class="dictionary">parent</span> or <span class="dictionary">parents</span> that they may enter into such an agreement and shall inform the child if he is 14 years of age or older that he may consent to such an agreement. <a id="paragraph-266182" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-283.1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> <span class="dictionary">The court</span> may consider the appropriateness of a written post-adoption contact and communication agreement entered into pursuant to subsection A and in accordance with Article 1.1 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Authority to enter into post-adoption contact and communication agreements" href="/63.2-1220.2/">63.2-1220.2</a> et seq.) of Chapter 12 of Title 63.2 at the permanency planning <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Permanency planning hearing for children in foster care" href="/16.1-282.1/">16.1-282.1</a> and, if <span class="dictionary">the court</span> finds that all of the requirements of subsection A and Article 1.1 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Authority to enter into post-adoption contact and communication agreements" href="/63.2-1220.2/">63.2-1220.2</a> et seq.) of Chapter 12 of Title 63.2 have been met, shall incorporate the written post-adoption contact and communication agreement into an <span class="dictionary">order</span> entered at the conclusion of such <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>. <a id="paragraph-266183" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-283.1/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2009, cc. 98, 260; 2010, c. 331; 2019, cc. 65, 84; 2020, c. 98.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
