Considering becoming a Foster Parent? Learn more about how we help and support your Foster Care journey.

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For Youth

Foster Care & Adoption

YOU have the ability to offer a child or teen a future filled with opportunity they otherwise may not have. We can help with that!
YOU have the ability to offer a child or teen a future filled with opportunity they otherwise may not have. We can help with that!

Why foster with The Up Center?

There are over 1,000 children and teens in foster care in Eastern Virginia, and many more are turned away because there are not enough loving homes to support them. We can provide you with the resources and support to change that! Learn how you can become a foster parent today! 

What We Do

We provide foster parents with balanced and trauma-informed parenting strategies and work together to teach children and youth new ways to function and see the world around them. Our goal is to help foster parents create a teaching home environment and form life-long positive relationships with the children they assist. Together, we ensure that children and youth experience positive and stable relationships, leading to more confidence and self-regulation.

The Up Center specializes in placing children and adolescents with varying needs in caring foster homes. Creating a safe and stable home and family environment is the greatest service we can provide to families in need. We strive to find the best matches possible between child and foster parent, and provide ongoing care and support for both.

Interested?

Join us at one of our info sessions to learn how to become a foster parent. There is NO obligation to commit by attending a session and registration is required. Sessions typically last one hour and couples are encouraged to attend together.

To register, email fostercareadoption@theupcenter.org or give us a call at 757-965-8638.

Our Impact

A stable and nurturing foster or adoptive family can significantly improve a child’s emotional and social development. The Up Center’s Foster Care & Adoption program has successfully placed many children in resource homes over the years, offering them a brighter future and the support they need to succeed.

In 2023,

9 children 

were placed for adoption

37 families

were partnered with

9 children

were reunited with their biological family

What to Expect

Frequently Asked Questions

Children and youth are placed in foster care while their parent or guardian are given the opportunity, resources, and time to be better prepared to provide safety upon their return. The length of time a child or teen spends in foster care varies depending on the needs of the family. The Up Center’s Foster Care program provides a safe, nurturing, trauma informed, teaching home environment specifically designed to accommodate the needs of the kids during this time. 

Children placed in a traditional foster care setting have been determined to not have significant mental health or behavioral issues, may be developmentally on target, demonstrate age appropriate behaviors and are in need of basic nurturing and supervision from an adult caregiver.


Therapeutic foster care provides family-based treatment for children up to the age of 18 with special emotional, behavioral or medical needs. Children in therapeutic foster care have complex behavioral, mental health, and developmental concerns as a result of past trauma or abusive situations.


The Up Center is uniquely qualified to accommodate the needs of emotionally troubled and behaviorally challenged children who are at risk for failure or have failed in regular foster homes, have been unable to live with their own families, or who are going through a transitional period.

We help parents remove barriers to care – including expenses. Fostering does offer monetary allowances for your service and to ensure the proper care of the child. There is funding available through the State of Virginia for foster parents and substantial tax credits are also provided.
Foster parents can either own or rent their homes.

Trauma-Informed Parenting adjusts your parenting methods to respond to your child’s needs, understanding the impact of trauma on your child.

Parenting is not easy. Foster parenting is also not easy. Through times of triumph and struggle, foster parents need quality, professional support. The Up Center provides industry-leading training and 24/7 access to support. Know that you will not walk this journey alone.

We train and support foster parents, or resource families, to diminish the factors that impede a child’s return to their home or help the child achieve a permanent placement when reunification is not possible or in the child’s best interests.

"Why I Foster"

“We had a great experience with The Up Center. Our clinicians were caring, empathetic and supportive. They showed love to our kiddos and our family as a whole. I believe that The Up Center is truly impacting lives for the better every day.”

—K. Berry

“Jen and I are so impressed with the Up Center as a whole. That certainly applies to Sheridan but also everyone that we have had the pleasure of dealing with. The kid’s safety and growth are clearly your #1 priority”.

—The Dalton Family

“It’s been the most challenging and most rewarding experience, amazing in the best and sometimes the very worst ways. I can say with zero doubt that we have worked alongside the best of the best by being with The Up Center. You will never tell me differently”.

—The Cholewinski Family

Meet the Team

Sharon Reams, MSW

director of youth services
Sharon is the Director of Youth Services at The Up Center. She oversees the Foster Care & Adoptions program as well as the Team Up youth mentoring program. She has been with The Up Center since 2005. She is a native of Hampton Roads and is dedicated to helping and giving back to her community.

Raini Wimbro, MEd

Resource family supervisor

Raini is the Resource Family Supevisor for Foster Care and Adoptions. She has been part of the Foster Care team since 2011. She is passionate about empowering children and families whose lives have been impacted by trauma and helping them heal.

Natasha Beamon

Natasha Beamon, BS

placement supervisor

Natasha is Placement Supervisor of Foster Care and Adoptions. She has been with The Up Center since 2009. She is committed to serving children and families in the Hampton Roads community and promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in programs for children and families.

Holly Cahill, BS

resource home clinician

Holly is a Resource Home Clinician. She joined the Foster Care team in 2018 and has worked in child welfare since 2013. Holly is a Virginia Beach native and enjoys advocating for children in her community.

Sabrina S. Carr, MPA

outreach coordinator

Sabrina is Outreach Coordinator for Foster Care and Adoptions. She joined our foster care team in 2019. She is a native of Hampton Roads and has served our comminty for over 15 years. She finds it very rewarding to connect children with loving families.

Rebecca Gregory, MSW

Supervisee in Social Work

Rebecca is the Intake Coordinator for Foster Care and Adoptions. She joined our foster care team in 2018. Rebecca uses her clinical background in trauma and attachment to ensure that the time children are in our care can be filled with healing and growth as they move towards permanency.

Joseph Massenburg, BA

Therapeutic Family clinician

Joseph has been with The Up Center since 2006. He started as an In-Home Clinican and now works in Foster Care as a Therapeutic Family Clinician. Joseph loves working with the children and families to assist in their growth and progression.

Victoria Smallwood, BS

resource family coordinator

Victoria is the Resource Family Coordinator. She joined The Up Center in 2016 to help children and families in the community to receive and connect with additional resources and support. Believing families are forever, she enthusiastically works with the team to ensure children have a dedicated family with whom to stay.

Kaelyn Wagner, BS

Kaelyn joined The Up Center in 2022 as a Foster Care Clinician. She is dedicated to the well being of the children and families she works with. Kaelyn has been living in Hampton Roads since 2018 and enjoys being able to help her own community.

Become a Foster Parent

Our foster parents are everyday heroes. If you are interested in making a difference in a child’s life and are willing to open your heart and your home, please consider joining our team so we can help youth in foster care maximize their full potential.

Becoming a foster parent can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Here are some of the benefits of welcoming a foster child into your home:

  • Creating a strong bond through a shared goal and experience within your own family
  • Learning soft skills that are applicable to other areas of your life, such as patience, compassion, and empathy
  • Making a positive contribution to your community and inspiring others
  • Providing a safe haven and support system for children who need it most.

We are currently looking for adults—single, married, divorced, LGBTQIA+ —to provide a loving home to a foster child.

Contact Us

Location: 580 E. Main Street, Suite 400, Norfolk, VA 23510

Phone: (757) 965-8638

Fax: (757) 333-3274

Email: fostercareadoption@theupcenter.org

How You Can Help

Children who enter our Foster Care program often need clothing, diapers, formula, books, suitcases, etc. At The Up Center, we ensure that every child has access to NEW essential items purchased especially for them. To see a list of items frequently requested by families, including items for children, please visit our Amazon Wish List

During the back to school season, many children need school supplies, backpacks, coats, shoes, etc. During the holidays, we purchase gifts, toys and books for children in our program and host an Annual Holiday Party. If you would like to help our team support foster children in our care, please email us at development@theupcenter.org or make a donation to The Up Center here.

Our Mission

We are committed to partnering with children, families, and communities to improve lives and outcomes through prevention, intervention, and support services.