Mark Required Fields In Legal Virginia Adoption Forms For Free

Real Stories of Foster & Adoptive Families Currently, there are nearly 5,400 children in Virginia's foster care system. Of those children and youth, more than 700 children are ready for adoption right now. In Virginia, over 70% of our foster care youth are adopted by their foster parent.

Well, the answer is it is FREE when you adopt from foster care! You could only make a big difference in a child's life but save a hole in your pocket in financial expenses from going this route and even get some benefits.

A petition for adoption is filed in the Circuit Court of the county where the adoptive parents live. A name change for the child can be requested in the petition. Consents, if required, must be filed with the petition.

Virginia adoption laws, for instance, require a six-month home residency period prior to finalization and require the consent of children 14 and older. Anyone may apply to adopt a child, but married persons must file jointly unless it is a stepparent, in which case the biological parent signs a petition giving consent.

The applicant has ever been convicted of felony child abuse or neglect; spousal abuse; a crime against children (including child ography); or a crime involving violence, including rape, sexual assault, or homicide but not including other types of physical assault or battery.

In order to adopt a child, you must be at least 18 years of age or older to be approved as an adoptive parent. Adoptive parents can be single, married, divorced or widowed but what is most important is that they have the time and energy to give a child a lifetime commitment.