Become a foster parent in Portsmouth, VA
Fill out our intake form to get started, and our foster parent advocate will be in touch to answer all your questions about fostering a child!
Or give us a call to get started over the phone, and help us find a safe home for a foster child in Portsmouth .
About Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Virginia, with a population of around 97,000, is a historic city located on the Elizabeth River in the Hampton Roads region. Known for its maritime heritage, Portsmouth is home to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and has a waterfront downtown filled with charm and culture. The city features attractions like the Children’s Museum of Virginia, the largest of its kind in the state, and the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center, which hosts exhibits and events. Its walkable neighborhoods and rich history make Portsmouth an inviting place for families seeking a thriving and connected community.
For foster families, Portsmouth provides a network of resources aimed at supporting both caregivers and children. Currently, there are 36 children in foster care in the city, with ongoing efforts to recruit more foster families. The Portsmouth Department of Social Services works closely with local organizations like FosterVA and CASA to ensure that foster parents receive training, financial support, and access to therapeutic services. The city’s smaller size allows closer community connections, helping foster families feel well supported and part of a larger mission to provide stable, nurturing homes. Consider helping a child in need, and become a foster parent in Portsmouth!
Portsmouth offers many opportunities for families to bond and create lasting memories. Parks like Portsmouth City Park have scenic spaces for picnics, playgrounds, and boating, while the Elizabeth River Trail offers miles of waterfront exploration. Family friendly events, such as the annual Seawall Art Show and holiday parades, bring the community together in celebration. Foster children can also enjoy activities at places like the Portsmouth Public Library, which offers special programming for kids and teens.
Portsmouth stands out for its focus on fostering strong community ties and its commitment to supporting children in care. With its cultural, recreational, and educational resources, as well as a dedicated support network, the city creates an environment where foster families can thrive and build positive, meaningful connections. Start your journey to becoming a foster parent today!
Why Choose FosterVA
FosterVA is a campaign started by Extra Special Parents (a licensed child placing agency) to raise awareness of Virginia’s need for great foster families, especially in Portsmouth . Great foster parents make a difference in a youth’s ability to develop resiliency, which allows them to survive and thrive with the right support.
We have a support group that meets monthly for all foster families and respite care for yourself. Our support includes Individual clinical case managers and a crisis line manned 24/7/365. These tried and tested systems are put in place to ensure you and the child are supported during this journey as a foster parent.
Can I foster a child in Portsmouth ?
Find out if you qualify to become a foster parent! Becoming a foster parent is a challenging and enriching experience for you and all family members. You can make a huge difference and change a child's life for the better, especially for sibling groups and older children in foster care programs. If you care about children and want to help them, fostering a child is an extraordinary calling.
Children in the foster care system have been through traumatic experiences. They need a loving home to help them recover and thrive. Providing a home for a child can be heartwarming and beautiful when you start to see them succeed in your care. If you have the heart and a home for a child in Portsmouth , VA please contact us to learn more about our process.
Our parents come from all works of life, and your work and life experience will enhance what you bring to being a foster parent. So please never think that your life experience is unsuitable for a child in foster care, with nearly 5000 kids in the Virginia Department of social services care. We will find a child that will be great for you or your family.
Start the process today to become a Foster Parent
Family Friendly Events and Places of Interest
Children's Museum of Virginia
The Children’s Museum of Virginia is a place where families and caregivers with children ages 1-11 are encouraged to imagine, explore, and discover together through play. Children step inside a world where bubbles grow bigger than they are, where the forces of energy electrify and spark their imagination, where they can be a farmer, a banker, a scientist, a stargazer and more.
Lightship Portsmouth Museum
After nearly 50 years of service, Lightship Portsmouth now shines a light on this fascinating nautical history as a waterfront museum. Just steps from the Naval Shipyard Museum, Lightship Portsmouth is permanently “anchored” along the waterfront near the Renaissance Hotel. Come aboard to tour and learn about this historic ship, which is restored and outfitted to depict a day in the life circa 1955 for the 11-member crew.
Paradise Creek Nature Park
Paradise Creek provides the rare opportunity to enjoy a restored Elizabeth River first-hand. This 40-acre oasis is a living, on-going demonstration engaging all ages in what it means to restore healthy shores on the Elizabeth River.
Portsmouth City Park
Urban waterfront park boasts a golf course & range, tennis courts, playgrounds & landscaped gardens.
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum
Ironclad displays. Giant wooden ship models. Military weaponry & artifacts. Portsmouth’s navy yard is the nation’s oldest, dating back to Colonial times. Our exhibits tell the story of the huge role it played in building the U.S. Navy, then bringing it into the nuclear age – and so much more!
Portsmouth Splash Park
The Portsmouth Splash Park is an interactive aquatic venue that brings unique water play to the Portsmouth community.
The Hill House
The Hill House Museum is a historic home in Portsmouth, Virginia, furnished entirely with family belongings from 19th and 20th centuries.
The Railroad Museum of Virginia
A 1910 4-8-0 locomotive, coal tender, mail cars, dining car & caboose make up this specially museum pertaining to steam trains & railroad history. Fun for ALL ages!
Tidewater Yacht Marina
Tidewater Yacht Marina is one of the finest deep water marinas along the East coast, and home to mile marker “0” on the intracoastal waterway. With an on-site service center, restaurant, 22-acre protected deep-water basin, marine store, 300 deep-water slips in the basin and 100 slips available for transients. 6 Mega Yacht Slips 130? + T-Dock Positions with fast fueling, pump out station and more!
Way Back Yonder Antiques
Way Back Yonder Antiques, since 1991 has offered a fine selection of quality antiques to customers the world over. Our inventory is collected from the local area, we select only the best to offer our customers. We are a general line antique store with an emphasis on quality, with an inventory that includes items from antiquity to the 20th century, furniture, accessories, lighting, glassware, pottery, porcelains, ceramics, metal and wooden wares, estate silver of both sterling and plate, coins, collectibles, and other curiosities. We now carry fine estate and costume jewelry, along with a wide variety of Mexican silver jewelry, with a concentration on Taxco silver jewelry from the Silver Renaissance period. We also import new Mexican silver jewelry, and travel to Taxco and work directly with the master silversmiths in designing creating high quality silver jewelry.
