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 § 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 § 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.
Code 1950, § 63-348; 1952, c. 550; 1954, c. 489; 1956, c. 300; 1964, c. 459; 1968, c. 578, § 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, § 63.1-219.36; 2002, c. 747; 2007, cc. 606, 623; 2018, c. 94.
Structure Code of Virginia
Title 63.2 - Welfare (Social Services)
§ 63.2-1200. Who may place children for adoption
§ 63.2-1200.1. Recognition of foreign adoption; issuance of birth certificates
§ 63.2-1201. Filing of petition for adoption; venue; jurisdiction; and proceedings
§ 63.2-1202. Parental, or agency, consent required; exceptions
§ 63.2-1203. When consent is withheld or unobtainable
§ 63.2-1204. When consent is revocable; fraud or duress; mutual consent
§ 63.2-1205. Best interests of the child; standards for determining
§ 63.2-1205.1. Certain offenders prohibited from adopting a child
§ 63.2-1206. No parental presumption after revocation period expires
§ 63.2-1207. Removal of child from adoptive home
§ 63.2-1208. Investigations; report to circuit court
§ 63.2-1209. Entry of interlocutory order
§ 63.2-1211. Revocation of interlocutory order
§ 63.2-1212. Visitations during probationary period and report
§ 63.2-1213. Final order of adoption
§ 63.2-1215. Legal effects of adoption
§ 63.2-1216. Final order not subject to attack after six months
§ 63.2-1217. Provision of false information; penalty
§ 63.2-1218. Certain exchange of property, advertisement, solicitation prohibited; penalty
§ 63.2-1219. Suspected violation of property exchange information
§ 63.2-1220. Issuance of birth certificates for children adopted in the Commonwealth
§ 63.2-1220.01. Foreign adoptions; establishment of date of birth
§ 63.2-1220.1. Establishment of minimum training requirements
§ 63.2-1220.2. Authority to enter into post-adoption contact and communication agreements
§ 63.2-1220.3. Approval of post-adoption contact and communication agreements
§ 63.2-1220.4. Jurisdiction to approve post-adoption contact and communication agreements
§ 63.2-1221. Placement of children for adoption by agency or local board
§ 63.2-1223. Revocation of entrustment agreement
§ 63.2-1224. Explanation of process, legal effects of adoption required
§ 63.2-1225. Determination of appropriate home
§ 63.2-1226. When birth parents recommend adoptive parents
§ 63.2-1227. Filing of petition for agency adoption
§ 63.2-1228. Forwarding of petition
§ 63.2-1229. Foster parent adoption
§ 63.2-1230. Placement of children by parent or guardian
§ 63.2-1231. Home study; meeting required; exception
§ 63.2-1232. Requirements of a parental placement adoption; exception
§ 63.2-1233. Consent to be executed in juvenile and domestic relations district court; exceptions
§ 63.2-1234. When consent is revocable
§ 63.2-1235. Adoptive home not in child's best interests
§ 63.2-1236. Duty of Department to disseminate information
§ 63.2-1237. Petition for parental placement adoption; jurisdiction; contents
§ 63.2-1238. Forwarding of petition; when investigation and report not required
§ 63.2-1239. Return of copies furnished to counsel
§ 63.2-1242. Investigation and report at discretion of circuit court
§ 63.2-1242.1. Relative adoption
§ 63.2-1242.2. Close relative adoption; child in home less than two years
§ 63.2-1242.3. Close relative placement; child in home for two years or more
§ 63.2-1243. Adoption of certain persons eighteen years of age or over
§ 63.2-1244. Investigation and report at discretion of circuit court; exception
§ 63.2-1246. Disposition of reports; disclosure of information as to identity of birth family
§ 63.2-1246.1. Commissioner authority to store, preserve, and certify adoption files
§ 63.2-1248. Fees for home studies, investigations, visitations and reports
§ 63.2-1249. Establishment of Registry
§ 63.2-1250. Registration; notice; form
§ 63.2-1251. Furnishing information; confidentiality; penalty