Supports and Services for Expectant and Parenting Youth in Foster Care - Virginia

Date: October 2025

Youth's Parental Rights

This issue is not addressed in the laws and policies reviewed.

Placement Options
Citation: Admin. Code Tit. 22, § 40-151-1010; Child & Fam. Serv. Man. § E, 3.9.1

A children's residential facility may be licensed to operate a mother/baby program for adolescent mothers and their children. In a mother/baby program, adolescent mothers and their babies may share a bedroom as allowed by 22VAC40-151-420 but shall not share a room with other adolescents or their children. Pregnant adolescents may share a room as allowed by 22VAC40-151-420.  

In policy: Youth must always be placed in the least restrictive setting based on their needs and safety concerns Not only do family settings support healthy social development and maintenance of family connections, they help model healthy parenting and family engagement to youth raising their children.

For youth who may require a higher level of care (i.e., congregate care) based on their prenatal, postpartum, or parenting needs, settings should be considered that can assist them in ensuring parental readiness or capability. Youth may be placed in congregate care programs that specialize in providing prenatal, postpartum, or parenting supports for youth. These settings are one of the specified settings allowed by Family First and do not need to meet the criteria of a Qualified Residential Treatment Program to receive title IV-E funding.

Currently, only placements with the Mommy & Me program designation granted by the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) are designated to meet the specified setting for prenatal, postpartum, or parenting supports for IV-E funding for residential placement; however, VDSS has the ability to designate additional placements in this placement category as more facilities are identified.

Health Services 
Citation: Admin. Code Tit. 22, § 40-151-1010

The residential facility shall develop and implement written policies and procedures regarding health care of the adolescent's child, including the following: 

  • Obtaining health care 
  • Ensuring follow-up care is provided 
  • Ensuring adolescent mothers administer to their children only prescription and nonprescription medication authorized by a health-care professional licensed to prescribe medication 
  • Medication administration  

Parent Preparation for Expectant Youth
Citation: Admin. Code Tit. 22, § 40-151-1010

Each mother/baby program provider shall develop and implement written policies and procedures to orient direct care staff within 14 days of hire regarding the following:

  • Responsibilities of mothers regarding the child
  • Child development, including age-appropriate behavior for each stage of development
  • Appropriate behavioral interventions for infants and toddlers
  • Basic infant and toddler care, including, but not limited to, nutritional needs, feeding procedures, and bathing techniques
  • Safety issues for infants and toddlers

Education and Services to Support Parenting Youth
Citation: Child & Fam. Serv. Man. § E, 3.9.1

Pregnant and parenting youth (mothers and fathers) in foster care are eligible for parent support services through Medicaid, independent living funds, and the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program. These services are designed to support and strengthen youth's parenting capacity. Parent support services can include a wide variety of services such as family counseling, parental capacity evaluations, parent-child attachment services, and more. Additionally, their minor child may be eligible for services through a prevention services case.

The issue of assisting parenting youth in finishing high school is not addressed in the laws and policies reviewed. For information on assisting youth in foster care complete high school, see Educational Supports for Youth in Foster Care - Virginia | Child Welfare Information Gateway.

Economic and Concrete Supports 
Citation: Child & Fam. Serv. Man. § E, 3.9.1

The minor child of a youth in foster care, who is living in a foster home or residential facility with his or her parent and who is in the custody of the parent, shall be eligible to receive a foster care maintenance payment and shall not be eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The foster care provider should receive a basic maintenance payment for the minor child in the amount appropriate for the age of the child and from the same funding source as the parent of the child (i.e., title IV-E or State funds). The minor child is not eligible for enhanced maintenance.

The foster care provider is responsible for providing room and board and ensuring that the payment is used to meet the child's needs. The minor child of a foster youth remains the responsibility of his or her parent unless custody has been removed. The minor child is eligible for Medicaid, social services, and child support services.

The service worker does not open a case for the minor child; all costs are paid under the foster youth's case. If the foster youth resides in a residential facility with her minor child, the rate paid will be the rate negotiated with the facility for maintenance for the minor child. If the youth, who is under the age of 18, lives in an independent living arrangement and is receiving the Independent Living Stipend, the minor child is not eligible for a maintenance payment but may be eligible for TANF.

If the foster youth lives in an independent living arrangement and is receiving a maintenance payment as a Fostering Futures participant, the minor child is also eligible for a maintenance payment and would not be eligible for TANF. The maintenance payment should be added to the foster youth's foster care payment (as one payment). For youth who reside in supervised independent living settings under Fostering Futures, the foster care payment is sent to the youth. For all other settings, the foster care payment is made to the placement provider.

If the minor child of a foster youth has his or her own income (i.e., Social Security Insurance, Social Security assistance, or child support), these resources shall be used toward the maintenance cost. If the local department finds it necessary to assume custody of a child of a foster youth, the child of the foster youth may be eligible for title IV-E or State funds. Eligibility for the child of the foster youth is determined in the same manner as all other children in foster care.

Services and Supports for Parenting Youth That Promote Self-Sufficiency

This issue is not addressed in the laws and policies reviewed.

Foster Care Prevention Strategy for any Child Born to the Youth
Citation: Ann. Code § 16.1-281

If the child in foster care is pregnant or is the parent of a child, the foster care plan shall also include the following:

  • A list of the services and programs to be provided to or on behalf of the child to ensure parental readiness or capability
  • A description of the foster care prevention strategy for any child born to the child in foster care