May is National Foster Care Month, a time to honor the resilience of children and youth in foster care and recognize the unwavering commitment of the families who support them. This year’s theme, “Engaging Youth. Building Supports. Strengthening Opportunities.”, reminds us that every child deserves a loving, permanent home where they can thrive. In Virginia alone, more than 5,000 children are currently in foster care, and more than 1,000 of them are waiting for adoptive families to step forward. Behind each number is a young life filled with hopes, dreams, and a wish for belonging. As we shine a light on their stories, we invite you to open your heart and consider how adopting from foster care can forever change both your life and theirs.
Who Are the Children Waiting? Understanding Who’s in Virginia’s Foster Care System
When considering adopting from foster care, it’s important to understand the faces and stories behind the statistics. In Virginia, children and youth in foster care come from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life, but they share one common need: the love and security of a permanent family.
Today, almost half of the children in Virginia’s foster care system are over the age of 12. Teenagers often wait the longest to be adopted, yet they are also the most in need of stable, lifelong connections as they prepare for adulthood. In terms of race and ethnicity, approximately 30% of children in Virginia foster care are African American, highlighting an ongoing disparity that demands awareness and action.
Gender-wise, boys and girls are nearly evenly represented in the system. However, sibling groups—brothers and sisters who long to stay together—make up a significant portion of children waiting for adoption. Keeping siblings together whenever possible can provide a sense of continuity and comfort in uncertain times.
The Urgent Need: Adopting from Foster Care Before Youth Age Out
Each year, far too many young people in Virginia age out of the foster care system without ever finding the stability and love of a permanent family. When youth turn 18 or 21, depending on their circumstances, they leave foster care alone—often without the crucial support networks most of us take for granted. In Virginia, nearly 500 youth age out of foster care annually. Without the foundation of a forever family, these young adults face devastating outcomes:
- Eleven percent to 36% of young people aging out of foster care become homeless during the transition to adulthood.
- Twenty percent of youth who were in foster care at 17 and surveyed at age 21 had not earned an educational degree, diploma, certificate or license of any kind.
- Many will struggle with unemployment, unplanned pregnancies, and involvement with the criminal justice system.
Adopting from foster care gives these youth more than just a roof over their heads—it offers lifelong belonging, guidance, and hope for a brighter future. Every child deserves a family they can turn to, no matter their age.
The Power of Family: Understanding Kinship Care in Virginia
When children cannot safely remain with their parents, the next best option is often kinship care—placing children with relatives or close family friends who already know and love them. Kinship care offers children the comfort of familiar faces, cultural continuity, and stronger connections to their roots, easing the trauma of separation from their birth parents. Whether it’s a grandparent, aunt, uncle, older sibling, or close family friend, these caregivers step up in remarkable ways to provide stability and a sense of belonging.
Research shows that children in kinship care experience fewer school disruptions, fewer behavioral challenges, and stronger emotional bonds compared to those placed with non-relative foster families.
In Virginia, kinship care plays a vital role. As of recent data, approximately 6,000 children in Virginia are living in formal or informal kinship care arrangements. For many, kinship care offers the best possible outcome short of reunification or adoption. And for families who adopt from foster care, understanding and embracing kinship connections can enrich a child’s identity and sense of belonging for life.
Learn more about kinship care in our other blog, and if you have more questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 804-353-0191.
The Lifelong Impact of Adopting from Foster Care or Becoming a Kinship Caregiver
Every child deserves the love, stability, and safety of a permanent family. Whether you choose to adopt from foster care or step forward as a kinship caregiver, you have the power to change the trajectory of a child’s life forever. Across Virginia, children and teens are waiting—waiting for someone to believe in them, to stand by them, and to welcome them home for good. Adopting from foster care doesn’t just fill a home with joy and purpose; it fills a heart with immeasurable love and offers a young person the foundation they need to thrive. If you feel called to open your heart and home, there are countless ways to make a difference. Now is the time to take that first step and help a child know they are chosen, cherished, and never alone.
Meet the Children Waiting for a Family
Across Virginia, there are incredible children and teens waiting for the unconditional love and stability of a forever family. We invite you to get to know some of these remarkable young people. On our Waiting Children page, you’ll find boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 17—each with their own unique personalities, talents, and dreams.
These children are ready for adoption and are hoping for a family who will stand by them, encourage them, and offer them a place to call home. By reading their bios, we hope you’ll see beyond the statistics and glimpse the real hopes and hearts of youth who deserve the chance to thrive. Whether you’re considering adopting from foster care or simply want to understand the need, taking the time to learn their stories is a powerful first step.
As we honor National Foster Care Month, you can make a lasting impact by helping spread the word. Share this blog with your family and friends, follow and like our social media pages, join our newsletter to stay informed, or make a donation—because every dollar truly matters in the life of a child. Your support helps us continue our mission of finding loving, permanent families for Virginia’s children. And if you feel ready to open your heart and home by adopting from foster care, we are here to guide you every step of the way. From the first inquiry to placement and beyond, the Children’s Home Society of Virginia will walk alongside you, ensuring that you and your child have the resources, support, and encouragement needed to build a beautiful future together.