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

STAY CONNECTED

To sign up for updates or to access your subscriber preferences, please enter your contact information below.

November is Adoption Awareness Month


Tuesday, Nov. 18 – Board of Supervisor's Proclamation

Fairfax County sealThe Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will proclaim November as Adoption Awareness Month on Tuesday, November 18 during their meeting. This is a special time to recognize the powerful love families show when they adopt a child through foster care, and to raise awareness about the ways that the county continues to support families post adoption. Learn more about the proclamation or watch on Channel 16.


Angel’s Foster Care and Adoption Story

Brazelton Family Adoption StoryMeet Don and Emily, who became Fairfax County foster parents in 2018. After providing respite care for a couple of children, they welcomed 15-month-old Angel into their home in 2021 and adopted him in 2024. Don and Emily developed a close relationship with Angel’s biological family along the way, which has been a blessing to everyone. Angel, who is now an active 4-year-old, is receiving the care and support he needs from the whole family and he is thriving. Check out the video to learn more about this family and how their choice to foster has led to such joy.


Webinar: Rekindling Bonds: Exploring Kinship and the Power of Reconnection

Natalie SposatoNovember 12, 2025, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. — This webinar celebrates the importance of family in all its forms. Join a panel including DFS Social Services Specialist Natalie Sposato, Kerry Graeber with Shineforth, and Faith Spencer the adoptive mother as they share a powerful kinship adoption story. It emphasizes the importance of continuing to explore and re-explore kinship options until permanency is achieved and how adoption and kinship care provide opportunities to reconnect children with love, stability, and belonging. It highlights the resilience of families and the enduring power of relationships to create a foundation where youth can thrive. Register here to reserve your spot!


Smith’s Foster Care & Adoption Journey

Smith, Tremayne and Bryant wearing sunglassesMeet Fairfax County foster parents, Tremayne and Bryant. This couple received their first foster care placement, Smith, on July 13, 2020, when he was only 11 days old. So far, this has been their only placement and it resulted in the family adopting Smith. Learn more about Tremayne and Bryant’s story and how they work together as a team with the department to keep Smith connected with his birth family and relatives. Check out their video.


Foster Care Success Stories

woman and girl smiling under umbrellaThese are the true stories of Fairfax County Foster Care and Adoption. They are stories of hope, endurance, acceptance, sacrifice, belonging, and most of all love. These success stories reveal how lives have been improved and families formed, reunited, and strengthened through the support of professionals working in foster care and adoption. Check out our success stories.


Everything You Need to Know about Adoption from Foster Care

Jessica Moser Check out this interview with Fairfax County Foster Care and Adoption specialist Jessica Moser. Learn about the value of adoption from foster care and ways the Department of Family Services supports families considering this path.


Comprender la Acogida Temporal y la Adopción

Charlas Comunitarias 2023-11-08 Consulte esta entrevista con Melissa Alba, especialista en Acogida Temporal y Adopción del Condado de Fairfax. Conozca el valor de la adopción desde el acogimiento temporal y las formas en que el Departamento de Servicios Familiares apoya a las familias que están considerando este camino. También puedes escuchar el podcast.


Children Awaiting Adoption

silhouette of boys and girlsMeet some of the wonderful children awaiting adoption through the Department of Family Services, or check out the state listing of children awaiting adoption throughout Virginia.

There are many older children and youth or sibling groups who can benefit from the support of loving families to help them succeed in life. Please share their profiles and videos to help them find permanent families.


Adoption Month Community Engagement Toolkit

message clouds graphicJoin the conversation on social media and help raise awareness about adoption from foster care. Use the graphics and messages in our community engagement toolkit to spread the word through social media.


Adoption Fun Facts

  • Between Oct. 1, 2024, and Oct. 1, 2025, 17 adoptions were finalized in Fairfax County.
  • 59% (10) of children were adopted by relatives.
  • 18% (3) of children adopted were 10 years old and older.
  • 82% (12) of children adopted were 9 years old and younger.
Between Oct. 1, 2024, and Oct. 1, 2025, 17 adoptions were finalized in Fairfax County.

 

For more statistics about Foster Care and Adoption in Fairfax County, check out these resources.


Foster Family News

Foster Family NewsOur monthly Foster Family Newsletter provides a window into the experiences of foster and adoptive parents, children in care, alumni of foster care, and the resource workers who support them. It also includes pertinent information on a variety of services and supports that are available for Fairfax County foster and adoptive families. Check out the latest newsletter.


For media inquiries, contact Department of Family Services' Public Information Officer Amy Carlini by email office phone 703-324-7758 or mobile phone 571-355-6672.

Back to top

Fairfax Virtual Assistant