Types of Foster Care in Virginia: A Guide for Future Foster Parents

Foster care isn't one-size-fits-all. More than 5,500 children are in foster care in Virginia, and they need different things: some need a safe home for a few weeks, some need a family for years, and some need parents with extra training to help them heal.

If you're thinking about fostering, understanding the types of foster care helps you find the role that fits your life. Here's how each one works in Virginia.

Who Provides Foster Care in Virginia?

In Virginia, each city or county's local department of social services has custody of children in foster care and approves many foster families. Licensed private agencies, like Intercept Health TFC, also recruit, train, approve and support foster families. Private agencies often care for children with more significant needs, and they give their foster parents extra training and support.

Traditional Foster Care

Traditional foster care is what most people picture when they think of fostering. Children who can't safely live at home stay with a trained foster family while their parents work toward getting them back. Foster parents handle day-to-day care, get children to school and appointments, and support visits with their family.

Children in traditional foster care have been through a lot, but their needs are typical for their age. It's the most common type of foster care. Learn more about foster care.

Treatment Foster Care (Therapeutic Foster Care)

Treatment foster care, also called therapeutic foster care, is for children and teens with emotional, behavioral or medical needs. Instead of living in a group home or residential facility, they live with a family whose foster parents have extra training to help them heal.

Treatment foster parents work as part of the child's team, alongside a case manager, therapist and school. At Intercept Health TFC, every treatment foster family gets Pressley Ridge training, a dedicated case manager and 24/7 on-call support. Learn more about treatment foster care, or see how it compares in treatment vs. traditional foster care.

Kinship Foster Care

Kinship care is when a child lives with relatives or close family friends, like a grandparent, aunt, godparent or neighbor. Virginia looks for kin first when a child can't stay at home, because living with people they know can make a hard time a little easier.

If a child is in foster care, a relative may be able to care for them by becoming an approved kinship foster parent. Virginia also has other kinship options, including the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP), where a relative becomes the child's permanent legal guardian and receives monthly financial support. Learn about kinship care in Virginia.

Emergency Foster Care

When a child first comes into care, there often isn't time to plan. Emergency foster parents take children on short notice, sometimes late at night, and care for them for a few days or weeks until a longer-term home is found. It takes flexibility and a calm presence during one of the hardest moments in a child's life.

Respite Care

Respite care gives foster families a short break. A respite provider, another approved caregiver, looks after a child for a weekend or a few days so the foster parents can rest. It's also a good way to get to know foster care if you're not ready to foster full-time.

Foster-to-Adopt

The goal of foster care is usually for children to return home safely. When that isn't possible, a child may become free for adoption, and their foster family is often considered first. Virginia has more than 800 children with special needs waiting for an adoptive home.

Intercept Health TFC doesn't provide adoption services directly, but we support foster parents through the foster-to-adopt process, including home studies that meet adoption-readiness standards. Learn about adoption support.

Extended Foster Care: Fostering Futures (Ages 18 to 21)

Turning 18 doesn't have to mean leaving foster care. Virginia's Fostering Futures program lets young adults who turned 18 in foster care keep getting support until they turn 21, including help with housing, school and job training. Some stay with their foster parents while they finish school or start working.

Group Homes and Residential Care

Group homes and residential treatment facilities aren't foster family care, but they're part of the system. They care for children in a staffed setting, often for short-term treatment. Virginia's goal is to place children with families whenever possible, and treatment foster care is one way to give children with significant needs a family instead of a facility.

Types of Foster Care at a Glance

Type	Who it serves	How long	Who approves you
Traditional	Children who can't safely live at home	Months to years	Local department of social services or a private agency
Treatment (therapeutic)	Children with emotional, behavioral or medical needs	Months to years	A licensed private agency, like Intercept Health TFC
Kinship	Children who can live with relatives or close family friends	Months to permanent	Local department of social services
Emergency	Children just entering care	Days to weeks	Local department of social services or a private agency
Respite	Children in foster care whose foster parents need a break	A weekend or a few days	Local department of social services or a private agency
Foster-to-adopt	Children who can't return home	Permanent	Local department of social services or a private agency
Fostering Futures	Young adults 18 to 21	Until age 21	Local department of social services

Which Type of Foster Care Is Right for You?

• If you want to help children with bigger needs, with a team behind you, treatment foster care may be the right fit. You don't need a background in mental health, because the training and support are built in.

• If you're a relative or family friend of a child in care, talk to the child's local department of social services about kinship options.

• If you want to start small, respite care lets you help foster families and learn what fostering is like.

• If you're open to adoption, tell your agency early. Many children adopted in Virginia are adopted by their foster parents.

  
  

Is Treatment Foster Care Your Path?

If you're ready to help a child heal in a family instead of a facility, we'd love to talk. Join a foster parent information session, see every step to become a foster parent in Virginia, or take our short qualification quiz.