ICPC State Pages

Virginia Home Studies (Adoption/Foster Care/Kinship/Parent/Relative)

Types of Home Studies

Virginia conducts the following types of home studies:

• Foster Care
• Parent Care
• Foster- Adopt
• Adoption

Virginia designates staff in each county/region to conduct home studies and/or process interstate placements:

• Other: Virginia is a locally administered state. "State" processes interstate placement; local departments of social services conduct the home studies and provide services.

Virginia considers a home study as current/valid for:

• Public: 3 years
• Private: 3 years

Private Contract Services - Home Study

As the Sending State, Virginia will pay a contractor or private/independent agency in the Receiving State to conduct a home study:

• Other: Contractors or private/independent agencies are used on an individual basis and not all localities will contract for home study services.

As the Receiving State, Virginia will permit a Sending state to pay a contractor or private/independent agency in the Receiving State to conduct a home study:

• Other: Local department of social services makes that decision but generally the family will be studied by the public agency if the children are coming from a public agency.

As the Receiving State, Virginia will accept/update a home study that was not originally conducted by the receiving state or a private contractor acting on behalf of the Receiving State:

• Other: For private adoptions only

Adoptive Home Study

Home study for adoption conducted prior to Termination of Parental Rights (TPR):

• No

Prospective adoptive parents permitted to pay for a pre-adoptive home study:

• Private Adoptions: No
• Independent Adoptions: No

DCPS contracts for Purchase of Services with private agencies in other states:

• Yes

Foster Care Home Study

Home study for foster care conducted prior to Termination of Parental Rights (TPR):

• Yes

Parent Home Study

If child has been removed from the parent, Virginia requires a home study evaluation before reunification:

•  

  The assessment process is a crucial element in permanency planning. When deciding whether to recommend to a court that children in placement should be returned home to their parents’ care, the LDSS should convene a Family Partnership Meeting where team members consider whether:

  1. The parents have made reasonable progress in correcting the conditions that led to the removal of their children from the home (this shall include a formal risk assessment).
  2. The parents have achieved the outcomes of the foster care service plan in such a manner that the conditions determined essential to the child’s safety and well-being have been met.
  3. Whether the family is ready to be reunified.

   

   A Family Partnership Meeting should be scheduled when the risk level is reduced and parental progress and ability to protect and provide safety for the child is recognized. The team determines if the child can safely return to his or her own family and a reunification meeting should be held before overnight visits begin. Meetings shall be scheduled at a time and place where parents and other partners can attend.

Non-Custodial Parents: Placements with non-custodial parents are not covered under the ICPC if:

• • A court does not have evidence before it that such parent is unfit;
  • Does not seek such evidence; and
  • Does not retain jurisdiction over the child after the court transfers the child.

Proof of Paternity is required:

• No

Relative/Kinship Home Study

Home study for relatives conducted prior to Termination of Parental Rights (TPR):

• Yes

Define Relative:

• Depends on the program

Relatives must be licensed:

• Yes

Proof of Paternity is required:

• No

Virginia considers the following types and degrees of relation as relative placements. Individuals related in the 1st degree, 2nd degree, 3rd degree and 4th degree (You may need to refer to your state's consanguinity chart or state statute to determine relations or relative status.):

• 1st Degree (mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter)
• 2nd Degree (grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, first cousin)
• 3rd Degree (great grandmother, great grandfather, great aunt, great uncle, grand-niece, grand nephew, second cousin)
• 4th Degree (great, great-grandmother, great, great-grandfather, great, great aunt, great, great aunt, great, great uncle, great grand-niece, great grand nephew, third cousin)
• Godmother, Godfather
• Other

Regulation 7 Priority Placement

Virginia performs priority placements:

• Yes

A court ordered Priority 7 conducted if the child is in a DCF shelter or foster home for substantial period of time.

Wait Time (ICPC Interstate Home Study) - Public

Average length of time to process and complete a home study with criminal background checks for an interstate placement (Not including completion of educational training):

• 60 days

Wait time to complete Home Study, only (without criminal records check):

• Other: Criminal records checks are mandated for all home studies including parents.

Wait Time (ICPC Interstate Home Study) - Private

Average length of time to process and complete a home study with criminal background checks for an interstate placement (Not including completion of education training):

• 60 days

Wait time to complete Home Study, only (without criminal records check):

• Other: 60 days - Criminal background checks are mandated on all home studies including parents.

Virginia determines the "Date of Receipt" for an interstate home study as:

• Date stamped in the ICPC Office.

Method of requesting, sending, and/or reporting an interstate home study

Criminal Record Checks

Virginia requires criminal background checks for the following home studies:

• Foster Care
• Relative-Foster Care
• Foster-Adopt
• Adoption
• Parent

Type of Checks (Crim. & Abuse Neglect Registry)

Virginia requires the following types of criminal background and perpetrator checks (Federal (F), State (S), Local (L), Abuse and Neglect Registry (ANR), Not Required (NR))

Wait Time for Criminal Records Results

Wait time for fingerprint results are:

Live Scan or other technology

• State: 8-14 days
• Local/County: 8-14 days

Manually - Fingerprint Card

• State: 8-14 days
• Local/County: 8-14 days

Criminal Record Checks

Virginia requires criminal background checks for the following home studies:

• Foster Care
• Relative-Foster Care
• Adoption
• Parent

The Code of Virginia § 63.2-901.1 Criminal history and central registry check for placement of children.

“....Copies of any information received by a local board or licensed child-placing agency pursuant to this section shall be available to the state agency that regulates or operates such a child placing agency but shall not be disseminated further; and .......”

State agency refers to a Virginia state agency only.

Type of Checks (Crim. & Abuse Neglect Registry)

Virginia requires the following types of criminal background and perpetrator checks (Federal (F), State (S), Local (L), Abuse and Neglect Registry (ANR), Not Required (NR))

Wait Time for Criminal Records Results

Wait time for fingerprint results are:

Live Scan or other technology

• State: 8-14 days
• Local/County: 8-14 days

Manually - Fingerprint Card

• State: 8-14 days
• Local/County: 8-14 days