Virginia Foster Care Requirements: Home Study and Stipend

To meet Virginia foster care requirements, you need to pass state and federal background checks, complete a home study, finish a pre-service training program, meet the state’s home safety standards, and show your household is financially stable enough to care for a child without relying on foster care payments. You can apply through a local department of social services (LDSS) or through a licensed private child-placing agency, and the core requirements are the same on either track.

Who Can Apply

Virginia’s eligibility rules are broader than many people assume. You can apply whether you are single, married, divorced, or widowed, and the state does not exclude anyone based on race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.¹

The minimum age depends on which path you take. Through a local DSS as a resource family, you can apply at 18. For licensure as an independent foster home, Virginia’s administrative code sets the minimum age at 21.² Independent foster home providers must also hold either a bachelor’s degree in a child-related field or a high school diploma plus at least one year of experience caring for children in the age range they plan to serve.

Virginia does not set a maximum age. The state’s guidance manual prohibits denying applicants based on age alone, though the home study will assess whether you are physically and mentally capable of meeting a child’s daily needs.³ You also do not need to be a Virginia resident; federal law bars the state from denying foster parent status based on state of residence.

One boundary to note: Virginia operates several foster care tracks, including kinship, treatment, emergency shelter, and permanent foster care. They share the core requirements below, but treatment and emergency shelter care involve additional training and closer agency oversight.

Background Checks and Disqualifying Offenses

Every applicant, and every adult living in the home, must clear a criminal background check and a child abuse registry search. Virginia requires fingerprint-based screening through both the Virginia State Police and the FBI, along with a search of the Virginia Child Protective Services central registry for any founded complaint of child abuse or neglect.⁴ You will also submit a sworn disclosure statement covering any criminal history or pending charges inside or outside Virginia.⁵

Some offenses are permanent bars. Virginia defines “barrier crimes” in Code § 19.2-392.02, and the list is long: murder, sexual offenses, kidnapping, arson, robbery, felony assault, crimes against children, and many more. A conviction for any barrier crime disqualifies you automatically.⁶ Any other felony conviction within the past five years is also disqualifying.⁷

Felony drug possession follows a stricter rule. Even if the Governor has restored your civil rights, at least 10 years must have passed since the conviction before an agency can approve you as a foster or adoptive parent.⁷ Known sex offenders cannot reside in the home or have contact with children in care.

The Home Study

The home study is the most involved step. A local DSS calls it a “mutual family assessment”; a licensed private agency calls it a home study. The core is the same: a trained professional evaluates your household, relationships, and readiness to parent a child with a difficult history.

The assessment includes at least three face-to-face interviews with each applicant, on three separate days. At least one must take place in your home. If you have a spouse or partner, at least one interview must include both of you, and every person living in the household is also interviewed separately.⁸ The evaluator collects at least three references from people who know your character and experience with children, including at least one non-relative.

The evaluation covers your parenting approach, motivations for fostering, stability of household relationships, and ability to handle emergencies. Financial records, employment history, driving records, and tuberculosis screening results are all part of the file.⁹ The evaluator documents everything in a narrative assessment signed by both the person who conducted it and the local department director or a designee.

If you previously applied with a different agency, expect to sign a release authorizing that agency to share your prior application, performance history, and current status.

Home Safety Standards

Your home does not need to be large or expensive, but it does need to be safe, clean, and able to give each child their own space. Virginia’s administrative code spells out specifics.

Each child needs a separate, comfortable bed with clean bedding. Two siblings of the same sex may share a double bed. No more than four children can occupy one bedroom, and bedrooms cannot double as hallways. Cribs for infants must meet current Consumer Product Safety Commission standards.
The home needs at least one toilet, basin, and tub or shower for every eight people, with doors for privacy.
Rooms used by children must be heated to at least 68°F in winter. When indoor temperatures exceed 80°F, you need a fan or air conditioner.
The home and grounds must be free of peeling paint, litter, pest infestations, and any conditions that could endanger a child’s health or safety.
Children who cannot use stairs unassisted need sleeping space on the first floor, unless they can easily be carried.
The home must have a working telephone accessible to all household members, and windows and doors used for ventilation need screens.

These standards come from 22VAC40-141-190 and 22VAC40-141-200.¹⁰

Firearms Storage

If you own firearms, Virginia requires all guns to be kept unloaded and locked, with ammunition locked in a separate location. Other weapons also need to be locked away, and the home must be free of hazardous materials accessible to children.¹¹ Social workers pay close attention to this during the home visit, and it is a common source of delays when applicants need to buy a gun safe or reorganize their storage.

Pets

Virginia does not ban pets in foster homes, but the safety evaluation will assess whether animals in the household pose any risk to children. Expect questions about temperament, vaccination status, and how you plan to supervise interactions between pets and a newly placed child.

Training and Certifications

All prospective foster parents must complete pre-service training before receiving a placement. Many agencies use the Trauma-Informed Partnering for Safety and Permanence — Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (TIPS-MAPP) framework, which covers child development, trauma-informed care, working with biological families, and non-punitive discipline. The program is structured around 10 group sessions and doubles as part of the screening process, helping both you and the agency decide whether fostering is the right fit.

All foster parents, and any other adults expected to be alone in the home with children, must hold current certifications in first aid and CPR appropriate to the ages of children in care, from an approved provider such as the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association. Certifications must be obtained before licensure and kept current.¹²

After approval, Virginia requires ongoing education. For independently licensed foster homes, the code mandates at least 20 hours of related training each year, with documentation kept by the provider.¹² Resource families approved through local DSS offices also complete annual in-service training, though the specific hours may differ by agency.

Financial Stability and the Monthly Stipend

You need to show that your household can meet its own basic needs without depending on foster care payments. The home study reviews your employment history, income, assets, and debts, and you will likely need to provide pay stubs, tax returns, or other documentation. Excessive debt or financial instability can delay or derail an application, though there is no specific income threshold you must meet.¹³

Virginia pays a monthly foster care maintenance stipend that varies by the child’s age. As of 2025, the rates are approximately $580 per month for children ages 0 through 4, $677 for ages 5 through 12, and $861 for ages 13 and older. The payments are intended to cover the child’s food, clothing, personal items, and other daily expenses; they are not household income for you. Children in foster care are eligible for Medicaid, so you will not need to cover medical costs out of pocket for the child.¹⁴

How Long the Process Takes

The process starts when you contact a local DSS or a licensed private agency and submit an application. Applications typically include personal information, references from at least three unrelated individuals, background disclosure forms, and medical records. From there, the agency initiates your background checks, schedules home study interviews, and enrolls you in pre-service training.

Expect the whole process to take several months. Background checks run through state and federal databases, the home study alone requires at least three interviews on separate days, and training sessions usually run on a fixed schedule and may only be offered a few times a year. Scheduling is the most common bottleneck, particularly waiting for training classes to start or for fingerprint results to return.

Once everything is complete, a licensing specialist or supervisor reviews your full file. If approved, you receive either a foster home license (for independent homes, renewed annually) or resource family approval through your local DSS.¹⁵ Approval does not mean a child is placed immediately. Placement depends on the needs of children currently in care and how well your home matches them.

If Your Application Is Denied

If your application is denied or not acted on within a reasonable time, you have the right to appeal. You must request a hearing within 30 days of the denial. Virginia is required to hold the hearing, reach a decision, and notify you within 90 days of your request.¹⁶

At the hearing, you can examine the information the agency relied on, bring witnesses, present evidence, and cross-examine agency witnesses. Hearings can be held in person or by telephone if you agree. The commissioner’s decision is binding and constitutes final agency action, meaning the next step after an unfavorable ruling would be judicial review in court.¹⁶ If the decision goes in your favor, the local department must promptly begin providing the service or, in cases involving maintenance payments, issue retroactive payments to the date of the incorrect action.

1
Foster Virginia. Frequently Asked Questions on Foster Care
2
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Administrative Code 22VAC40-141-30 – General Requirements
3
Virginia Department of Social Services. Child and Family Services Manual – Resource Family Guidance
4
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 63.2-901.1 – Criminal History and Central Registry Check for Placements of Children
5
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Administrative Code 22VAC40-141-40 – Background Checks
6
Virginia Department of Social Services. Barrier Crimes List
7
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Administrative Code 22VAC40-191-50 – Explaining Requirements for Satisfactory Background Checks
8
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Administrative Code 22VAC40-131-180 – Home Study Requirements
9
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Administrative Code 22VAC40-211-40 – Mutual Family Assessment Requirements
10
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Administrative Code 22VAC40-141-190 – Physical Accommodations in the Independent Foster Home
11
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Administrative Code 22VAC40-141-200 – Home Safety
12
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Administrative Code 22VAC40-141-70 – Training
13
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Administrative Code 22VAC40-141-60 – Assessment of Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
14
Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services. Medicaid for Youth in Foster Care
15
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Administrative Code 22VAC40-100-40 – Licensing Procedures
16
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Administrative Code 22VAC40-201-115 – Foster Care Appeal Process