What is the Difference Between Foster Care and Adoption?
Foster Care
Foster care refers to finding a temporary home for a child outside the home where he or she had been raised. This may occur as a result of abuse, neglect or other circumstances that put the child at risk. During this time, family problems are addressed so that the child can return home safely, or plans are made to find a safe and nurturing home for the child outside his or her birth family.
Foster parents offer children safety and stability until they can return to their families or go to permanent homes. Foster families offer different types of care:
- Regular Foster Home: Children stay for any length of time, often one to two years.
- Resource Home: These families are willing to both foster and adopt a child, depending on the child's needs.
- Child-Specific: Children are placed with relatives or close friends who know the children's background and circumstances.
Adoption
Adoption provides a permanent home when a child cannot return to the parents or relatives.
Who are the Children and What Do They Need?
Who Are the Children?
They are children in Fairfax County who:
- Have their worlds turned upside down.
- Need a safe haven during difficult times.
- Need a foster home due to abuse or neglect.
- Range in age from infant to 18.
- Come from diverse backgrounds.
- Have experienced devastating losses of family and identity.
- Search for a sense of belonging.
- Have their confidence and feelings of self-worth shattered.
- Feel frightened and alone.
What Do They Need?
- Foster and adoptive parents.
- Stable, nurturing homes.
- Someone in their corner.
- To learn to trust again.
- Day-to-day guidance.
- Support from loving adults.
Who Can Foster and Adopt and What Do They Need to Know?
Who Can Foster and Adopt?
People who:
- care about children.
- want to make a difference in children's lives and futures.
- are 18 or older.
- may be married, single or divorced.
- may work outside the home.
- are able to provide a safe, loving home.
What Do They Need to Know?
- You can be a foster parent even if you don’t own your home. Renters are eligible to be foster parents.
- Foster parents can be as young as 18.
- No matter your marital status, you can be a foster parent to a child in need. Single, divorced and married (including LGBTQ couples) folks are all welcome!
- Fairfax County’s greatest need is for loving homes for children in sibling groups and those 9 years of age and older.
- The cost of many recreational activities (think summer camp and music lessons) for foster children are covered.
I'm Interested in Becoming a Foster Parent. What is the Next Step?
Thank you for your interest in becoming a foster parent and helping children in need. The next step is to create an account with the Faster Families Highway.
You will be prompted to complete a simple 6-step process to determine your fit with our agency goals and your readiness to become a foster parent.
Completing your profile puts you on track to hear from one of our specialists within two business days.
Do you have a general question about Foster Care and Adoption? Send an email or call 703-324-7639 or TTY 703-222-9452. Responses are provided within two business days.
Patricia Aviles-Cubillos discusses foster parent recruitment with host Heber Velasquez on “La Voz del Condado de Fairfax,” the County’s Spanish-language radio program on WUST-1120 AM.
What Supports and Resources are Available for Foster Parents?
Supports
Our foster parents receive:
- reimbursement for room and board, clothing, and related expenses
- medical and dental care for the children through Medicare or other sources (Podcast: EMS Care for Youth in Foster Care)
- ongoing training and support, such as workshops and social events
- services the child may need, such as
- day care
- respite care
- summer camp
- school fees and trips
- other recreational activities (e.g., music lessons)
Resources
- Training and supportive services
- A Resource Specialist
- Financial assistance
- Counseling
- Child care
What If a Foster Parent Wants to Adopt?
More than 70 percent of our adoptive families begin as foster parents, and then commit to adopting the child in their care. Many are school aged and part of sibling groups. Learn more from this Inside Scoop Virginia video.

What are Some Ways to Help Children in Foster Care without Becoming a Foster Parent?
What are Some of the Foster Family Stories?
Testimonies
"Finding my forever family has made such a big impact in my life! We enjoy being together, supporting each other, and making lots of new memories. I strongly encourage anyone considering fostering or adopting to do it - you can make all the difference in the life of a kid like me."
Mikalah
"As a first-time single parent, I was nervous about raising a teenager, but everything fell into place the minute I met her, and it's been an exceptional experience ever since!"
Lesley
"I have learned that adoption is not for the faint of heart. Some days I am aggravated. Some days I am exasperated. Some days I am heartbroken. Some days I ask, 'what have I gotten myself into?' But every day I know that this is among the greatest things I have ever done. In some situations you are literally saving a child's life. But in every situation you are offering a child the opportunity to see all the possibilities this world has to offer."
Leslie
Interview
The Unexpected Rewards of Foster Parenting is an interview with foster parents from Fairfax County who share their journey - what interest them initially; what steps they took to become foster parents; how long they served as foster parents; the relationship they built; challenges; rewards; advice based on their experience and more.
Videos
Meet some of the families who know this experience firsthand. Check out the videos of their personal stories to learn more about their journey.
Where Can I Learn More About Local Foster Care Statistics?
Check out our data dashboard to help you better understand the scope of Foster Care and Adoption in Fairfax County.