Loudoun Foster Care & Adoption News and Announcements The Department of Family Services (DFS) hosts monthly virtual foster care information sessions:

  • Monday, July 20, 2026, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, August 12, 2026, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
  • Monday, September 28, 2026, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. During each session, DFS staff will discuss general information on foster care need, eligibility requirements for foster parents, the process of becoming a foster parent and the support provided by DFS to foster families. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and sign up for next steps. Attendance is free, but registration is required. Register for an information session here Version Options Loudoun Foster Care & Adoption Headline. What is Foster Care? Foster care is a protective service provided to children in the custody of the Department of Family Services. It provides substitute, temporary care for when a child must be separated from his/her own parents or relatives because of neglect, abuse, abandonment, or other issues endangering their health and/or safety. The primary goal of foster care is reunification. While working towards this goal, the child is placed in a safe environment, such as a foster home or kinship foster home, while the biological parents work to resolve the challenges which led to the foster care placement. Services and support are provided to the children, their biological families, and their foster families to achieve this goal. If reunification is not possible, another permanent plan, such as a custody transfer or adoption, is pursued for the child. Children in Foster Care The children in foster care range in age from birth to 21 years old; most are 11 years old and older. These children come from diverse backgrounds and may have experienced abuse, neglect or lived in families in need of supportive services. The needs of a child in foster care can vary but all children in foster care have a need for safety, permanency and well-being. Foster Parenting Foster parenting is caring for a child placed in your home through the local department of social services. The child placed in your care is unable to remain safely in their home with their parents or relatives. Foster parents are asked to provide a safe, stable, temporary and caring atmosphere for a child placed in their home. Foster parents become part of a team effort to support the child and implement the plans made for the child. This involves working with biological parents, courts, local departments of social services and other involved agencies. Foster parents and kinship foster parents support reunification by keeping children safe and connected with their birth families while the birth parents overcome challenges and make strides towards providing a safe home for their children to ultimately return to. The temporary and complex nature of foster care places special demands on foster parents. They are asked to take someone else's child into their home, care for the child and treat the child as a member of their family. It is essential that foster parents understand and are willing to meet the physical and emotional needs of children within the context of their culture and background. The foster care program provides the necessary support and training to enable foster parents to provide daily care and supervision for the child in their care. Types of Foster Families
  • Traditional Foster Home: These are families that are currently approved foster families, who have no relationship with the child prior to placement. These families are part of the team working towards the identified permanency goal. Children are placed with these families for any length of time.
  • Kinship Foster Home: These families become approved as a foster family specifically for the placement need of a relative or child known to them who has entered foster care. These families can be kin by blood or marriage or fictive kin (persons known to the family or child who are not directly related). These families are provided with the same training and support as traditional foster families. Children are placed with these families for any length of time. Basic Requirements of all Foster Families Foster parent applicants must be at least 18 years of age or older to be approved as a foster parent in the state of Virginia. They can be single, married or divorced persons. They can own or rent their home. They can work outside of the home or be a stay-at-home parent. Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have the time and energy to provide for a child in care and must meet all the approval requirements set by the state of Virginia. Applicants are not required to have parenting experience. They must be able to work as part of a team and support the goal of reunification. Steps to become a Foster Family If interested in starting the process to be considered a foster parent with the Loudoun County Department of Family Services, begin by registering on the Faster Family Highway.
  • Join the Faster Families Highway
  • Pre-Screening Interview and Information Session with the Loudoun County Foster Family Recruiter/Trainer
  • Recruitment Home Visit
  • Pre-Service Training
  • Mutual Family Assessment (home study), which includes: at least three face-to-face interviews, a national Fingerprint Criminal Record check, a child abuse and neglect history check, a DMV check, a physician’s report verifying that you are physically and mentally capable of caring for a child, and verification that you have enough income to provide for your family and three references. For More Information Contact the Foster Parent Recruiter at 571-627-8649 for more information.