By becoming a foster parent through First Home Care, you step into an incredible opportunity to make a lasting difference in the life of a child. Children and youth in foster care need a chance to feel happy, secure, and cared for in order to thrive, and the need for compassionate foster parents grows by the day. According to the Virginia Department of Social Services:

• 2,743 children entered Virginia’s foster care system in State Fiscal Year 2018
• 33% are teenagers who may have more independence, but have not outgrown the need for love, support and guidance as they navigate early adulthood
• The average age of a youth in Virginia’s foster care is 8
• 20% of teens aging out of foster care are at greater risk for homelessness, unemployment or incarceration

There are nearly 5,000 children in Virginia’s foster care system right now. Of those 5,000 children, more than 600 are ready for adoption today. Over 60 percent of foster care youth in Virginia are adopted by their foster parent. First Home Care is dedicated to providing therapeutic foster care and adoption services to children and teenagers who need placement out of their homes into stable, supportive and nurturing environments. But to do so, we rely on the support of caring foster parents like you.

Who can become a Therapeutic Foster Parent?

To be eligible to become a therapeutic foster parent, a person must be:

• An adult, age 21 years or older
• A resident of Virginia
• Financially stable
• Able to provide adequate living space for a child
• Complete Child Protective Services and State Federal background checks
• Provide documents related to completing Homestudy
• Be available to attend all required training, including complete 30 hours of pre-service PST (Parent Skills Training)/PRIDE
• Be willing to learn to work with children who have emotional and behavioral challenges
• Be willing to work toward reunification with the youth’s birth family

Foster Parent Recruitment Brochure

Request Information

Help us reach the thousands of children in the Virginia foster care system today by opening your heart and your home to a child in need of a loving family. Fill out the form below to receive more details. We’ll be happy to provide you with an information packet and answer any questions you might have.

Our Goals

Our staff are committed to providing an innovative approach with at-risk children and their families, drawing from more than 25 years of experience. First Home Care strives to create public and private community partnerships that:

• Build on child and family strengths
• Teach life skills to children, teenagers and their families
• Help children, teenagers and families develop alternative coping strategies
• Support cultural diversity
• Build each community’s capacity to support children, teenagers and their families

Locations

Tidewater
Phone: 757-393-7200
After-hours referrals: 757-398-5225
Email: [email protected]

Richmond
Phone: 804-358-8737
After-hours referrals: 804-221-0414
Email: [email protected]

Roanoke
Phone: 540-265-2380
After-hours referrals: 540-492-5053
Email: [email protected]

Northern Virginia
Phone: 703-914-0182
After-hours referrals: 703-201-1740
Email: [email protected]

To learn more about our services, or to become a foster parent, call 800-516-1918 or email us. We are here to answer your questions and guide you through the process. If you are experiencing an emergency, please dial 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.