Call: 617-964-4357
Text: 617-777-0072
Facing an unplanned pregnancy is never easy. If you are living in Florida and facing this situation, you may be considering adoption. The good news is that there are resources available. You may be wondering how to find Florida adoption information. You have come to the right place.
This guide can answer some of the questions you may be asking yourself about adoption, including private adoption vs. foster care adoption, Florida adoption requirements, and how you can be supported every step of the way. Read on, as we share what to know before you begin the adoption journey.
Who Can Give Their Baby Up for Adoption in Florida?
Before we answer this question, we must address the term “giving a baby up for adoption.” While this term is still commonly used today, it is dated and simply inaccurate. Adoption is ANYTHING BUT giving up. Instead, we say you are placing your baby for adoption. This more appropriate term validates the voluntary, thoughtful plan of lovingly choosing adoption for your child. If you are thinking about adoption, you are already acting like a good mother. You are considering the needs of your child. While the decision may be difficult, you are bravely facing a pure act of love – ensuring your child has a happy and healthy life full of love and opportunities you may not be able to provide now.
Any pregnant person who is not ready, willing, or able to raise their child may choose to place that child for adoption. This can be planned before or after the child has been born. A birth father may consent to adoption if his paternity status is established. Birth fathers’ rights are typically handled on a case-by-case basis as they are often a bit more complex in nature. It is best to turn to an adoption agency and attorney for advice regarding the birth father’s rights.
Florida Adoption Laws and Legal Requirements
Each state has its adoption laws, and they can be quite complex. For help understanding the law, it is best to work with an adoption professional. A fully licensed adoption agency can offer an adoption attorney who knows the ins and outs of adoption laws in Florida.
Florida adoption laws are governed under Chapter 63 of the Florida Statutes. These laws dictate details such as who can adopt, cost transparency policies, and the legal process of adoption.
Have Questions About Adoption?
Consent and Termination of Parental Rights
In the State of Florida, parental rights must be permanently ended by a court order before the adoption can move forward. The birth mother and qualifying birth father – if applicable – must consent to the adoption, terminating their parental rights, in writing. The birth mother can sign consent no sooner than 48 hours after giving birth, or after being discharged from the hospital – whichever comes first.
Recent Changes to Florida Adoption Law
There have been a few changes to Florida adoption laws in recent years. Here are two legislative changes that may impact you as an expectant/birth mother considering adoption:
Safe Haven expansion. Safe Haven laws allow a birth parent to anonymously surrender an unharmed baby to designated safe locations – without fear of criminal prosecution for abandonment. In Florida, the timeframe for this option has increased from seven days old to 30 days old. Locations have also expanded in Florida. Birth parents can surrender infants to hospital staff or call 911 to meet EMS personnel.
Cost transparency. Adoption agencies must submit itemized quarterly reports on fees and expenses related to adoption placement to the state. These fees are also considered public records, allowing adoptive parents the ability to compare prices. Fee caps have also recently been introduced, which means that adoption professionals face tighter court oversight and limits when it comes to adoption fees.
Types of Adoption Available in Florida
Domestic Infant Adoption
Also known as private adoption, a domestic infant adoption involves the voluntary placement of a baby within the U.S. This type of adoption is overseen by a private adoption agency that covers all of the expenses for the expectant/birth mother. Adoptive families pay a fee for the adoption costs, including supportive services and care for the birth mother, legal fees, medical expenses for the baby, and adoption planning and matching services. This is the primary choice for adoption if you are an expectant/birth mother lovingly placing your baby for adoption.
Foster Care Adoption
Foster care can be an excellent path toward adoption for adoptive parents looking to adopt a child in a very inexpensive way. This department is run by the State of Florida and oversees the temporary and permanent placement of children who have been removed from their birth parents’ home. Foster care is not a voluntary choice made by birth mothers.
Stepparent and Relative Adoption
When a married spouse adopts their partner’s child from a previous relationship, this is called Stepparent adoption. A relative adoption can happen when a blood relative or family member – such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or older sibling – legally adopts the child. This typically happens when relatives step in to care for a child due to family hardship, including abandonment or death.
The Florida Adoption Process: Choose a Licensed Adoption Agency
The first – and most important – step of the adoption process is to choose your adoption agency. This professional will be working with you to help match your child with a loving adoptive family and offer you the supportive care you need throughout the adoption process.
As an expectant/birth parent, you have the power to choose your child’s adoptive family and speak – or even meet – them before you make your decision. Your adoption agency can show you the adoptive family profiles of those who have already been approved for adoption.
You can also design the adoption plan that meets your needs and makes you feel most comfortable with the adoption. You can choose from the following types of adoption plans:
There is no right or wrong choice when it comes to designing an adoption plan. You may want to speak with the adoptive family and then keep communication strictly between the adoption agency. You may wish to have zero identifying information shared with the adoptive family. Or perhaps – you may want to build relationships with your child’s adoptive family and get to know them over the years. The choices are all yours.
Learn More About Adoption in Florida
Are you ready to contact an adoption agency to learn more about adoption? Contact Adoptions With Love for commitment-free information. Call 617-964-4357, text (confidentially) 617-777-0072, or contact us online. We can help you lovingly make an adoption plan for your baby in Florida and work with you every step of the way.