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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>80979</law_id><section_number>63.2-1220.3</section_number><catch_line>Approval of post-adoption contact and communication agreements</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="63.2">Welfare (Social Services)</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Social Services Programs</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="12">Adoption</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1.1">Post-Adoption Contact and Communication Agreements</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> may approve a post-adoption contact and communication agreement authorized pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Authority to enter into voluntary post-adoption contact and communication agreement" href="/16.1-283.1/">16.1-283.1</a> or entered into pursuant to this article and filed with the <span class="dictionary">court</span> for a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> for adoption if: <a id="paragraph-290246" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/63.2-1220.3/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> The <span class="dictionary">court</span> determines that the <span class="dictionary">child</span>&#x2019;s best interest would be served by approving the post-adoption contact and communication agreement; <a id="paragraph-290247" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/63.2-1220.3/#A1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> The adoptive parent or parents and <span class="dictionary">birth parent</span> or parents have consented to a post-adoption contact and communication agreement filed with the <span class="dictionary">court</span>; <a id="paragraph-290248" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/63.2-1220.3/#A2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A3" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> The agency authorized to place the <span class="dictionary">child</span> for adoption and to consent to an adoption or authorized to recommend the placement of a <span class="dictionary">child</span> for adoption and the <span class="dictionary">child</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">guardian ad litem</span> have recommended that the post-adoption contact and communication agreement be approved as being in the best interest of the <span class="dictionary">child</span>, or, if there is no agency sponsoring the adoption, the agency that prepared the adoption report has been informed of the post-adoption contact and communication agreement and has recommended in the agency&#x2019;s report to the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> that the post-adoption contact and communication agreement be approved; however, in cases in which no <span class="dictionary">child</span> placing agency or <span class="dictionary">guardian ad litem</span> for the <span class="dictionary">child</span> is involved, this requirement may be waived; and <a id="paragraph-290249" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/63.2-1220.3/#A3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A4" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> Where the <span class="dictionary">child</span> is 14 years of age or older, consent to the post-adoption contact and communication agreement is obtained from the <span class="dictionary">child</span>. <a id="paragraph-290250" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/63.2-1220.3/#A4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> To be enforceable, any agreement under this section shall be approved by the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> and incorporated into the <span class="dictionary">final order</span> of adoption. <a id="paragraph-290251" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/63.2-1220.3/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall not require execution of a post-adoption contact and communication agreement as a condition for approving any adoption. <a id="paragraph-290252" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/63.2-1220.3/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2010, c. 331.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
