VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

The Division of Licensing Programs (DOLP) strives to protect the safety, health, and well-being of children and youth in residential care settings in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

DOLP’s Child Welfare Unit oversees the licensure and monitoring of children’s residential facilities (CRF) and licensed child-placing agencies (LCPA). The division provides training and technical assistance to these facilities.

A children’s residential facility (CRF) is any facility, child-caring institution, or group home that is maintained for the purpose of receiving children separated from their parents or guardians for full-time care, maintenance, protection and guidance, or for the purpose of providing independent living services to persons between 18 and 21 years of age who are in the process of transitioning out of foster care.

A licensed child-placing agency (LCPA) is any individual or agency licensed toplace children in foster homes, adoptive homes or independent living arrangements pursuant to § 63.2-1819 of the Code of Virginia or a local board that places children in foster homes or adoptive homes pursuant to § 63.2-900, § 63.2-903 and § 63.2-1221 of the Code of Virginia.

For more information about child caring institutions (CCIs) and independent foster homes (IFHs), please contact the Child Welfare Unit. Contact information for this unit and other regional licensing offices can be found on the Licensing-Contact Us webpage.