Department of Family Services

CONTACT INFORMATION: Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
703-324-7500 TTY 711
12011 Government Center Parkway, Pennino Building
Fairfax, VA 22035
Michael A. Becketts
Director

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May is Foster Care Month

May is Foster Care Month

Supporting Foster Care Changes Lives!

This year, Fairfax County’s theme for National Foster Care Month is “Supporting Foster Care Changes Lives!” We are actively engaging with Fairfax County community members to move them from awareness to action. Our Foster Care and Adoption program has a critical need for more dedicated foster parents and community partners to come alongside us.

We encourage county residents, faith-based organizations, and other public and private organizations to recognize the importance of foster care, consider how they can make an impact, and commit to supporting children and youth in need. There are a variety of ways to get involved through fostering, mentoring, volunteering, donating goods and services, providing respite care and other support for foster parents, and more. 

Join us this month — and throughout the year — in making a difference for Fairfax County children and youth in foster care.

Learn about the Department of Family Services' Foster Care & Adoption Program.

Fast Facts

  • In September 2022, a total of 368,530 children and youth were in foster care across the country (federal Children's Bureau)
  • In February 2025, there were 5,482 children in foster care in the Commonwealth of Virginia, 247 of whom were in Fairfax County. (Virginia Department of Social Services)
  • Foster parents can be as young as 18. 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.

2025 Fairfax County Foster Parents of the Year

Congratulations to Adam and Amy Suppes! They’ve been recognized as the 2025 Fairfax County Foster Parents of the Year by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. The Suppes have had several placements throughout the years. They are experienced adoptive and foster parents. In the last year, they have had a particularly difficult placement in which they have gone above and beyond, numerous times, for the child in their care. One of the children currently placed with the Suppes is hearing impaired and had never been enrolled in school and had not received any services for his needs, including his hearing impairment. Adam and Amy enrolled him in school and advocated for his needs. They began to learn sign language while teaching their foster son sign language. The whole family attended a camp to learn ASL. After a couple of months, when the child's sister was placed in foster care, Adam and Amy welcomed her into their home. They are supportive of the child's birth family relationships and considerate of their mother and patient with her progress.

Foster Care Month Community Special Event

We are hosting several events this month to raise our community members’ awareness of foster care. At the first event, community members joined social workers, community partners, and county officials including Fairfax County Supervisor Dan Storck for the official Board of Supervisor’s Proclamation of May as Foster Care Month. Learn about this event and other ways to get involved. 

Fairfax Virtual Assistant