The Foster Care program provides social services to children and families when the court places a child in the custody of the Department of Social Services. The placement of a child in foster care is often a last resort, temporary measure. It is used when all other means to resolve family problems and assure the safety of children have been exhausted and when no other appropriate placement, such as with a relative, is available for the child. During the temporary placement in foster care, a range of services is offered to children and parents designed to improve conditions and return the child home or to place the child in another permanent living arrangement as soon as possible.
Most children enter foster care because they are victims of serious abuse and neglect.
Occasionally the court will place children in foster care for other reasons that can be discussed with the Juvenile Court intake officer or the service screener at the Department of Social Services. Most children in foster care live in approved foster homes. Other placements may include residential or psychiatric care or other specialized living arrangements. Parents of children in foster care are actively involved in all aspects of the program including financial support for their child's foster care expenses. The Va Beach Department of Social Services is committed to preventing the need for foster care through providing Information and Referral services and a range of other social services.