Adoption is a legal process in which an adult person assumes responsibility for the care and support of another person (usually a child) who is not the adoptive parent's biological child. The child's biological or birth parents generally must give up their parental rights to complete an adoption.
In Virginia, adoption is governed by state statutes that outline the legal process by which an individual or couple becomes the legal parent(s) of a child who is not their biological offspring. This process requires the termination of the biological or birth parents' legal rights, which can be voluntary or involuntary, depending on the circumstances. The adoptive parents assume all legal responsibilities for the child, including care and support. The process involves several steps, including filing a petition for adoption, completing a home study, obtaining the consent of the biological parents or the termination of their rights, and receiving a final order of adoption from a court. Virginia law also includes provisions for stepparent, adult, and foster care adoptions, each with its own specific requirements. The process is overseen by the Virginia Department of Social Services, which ensures that all legal requirements are met for the adoption to be finalized.