Florida Open Adoption Information

Florida Adoption Entity

Florida Adoption Entity*, Amy U. Hickman, Esq. works hand-in-hand with Adoptions With Love and compassionate Florida counselors to help expectant/birth mothers make an adoption placement. Amy U. Hickman (Fla. Bar No.: 0832340) is recognized by the Florida Bar as an expert in Florida adoption law.

Adoptions With Love is a private, full-service, non-profit Massachusetts adoption agency facilitating all types of adoptions. Amy U. Hickman, Esq. and the professional staff of Adoptions With Love can meet you wherever you are to begin your adoption plan. Together, we work with Florida counselors throughout Florida, bringing personalized and expert adoption services to you. If you are interested in open adoption in Florida, we can help.

Expectant/birth parents in Florida have the option to choose their child’s adoptive parents and the type of adoption plan they desire – open, semi-open, or closed adoption. Adoption is a deeply personal choice, made with love and consideration. Only you can make the decisions surrounding your adoption plan. However, you will have support and guidance along the way.

Many expectant/birth parents choose open adoption to stay in touch with their children over the years. Some make an open adoption plan to choose and meet with the adoptive parents. Every adoption plan is unique, and there are varying levels of openness you can have in your adoption arrangement.

If you live in Florida and are considering placing your baby for adoption, it is important to find a dedicated, caring, experienced team of adoption professionals. Amy Hickman working with Adoptions With Love engage a wide network of adoption counselors and attorneys across Florida, each of whom has a comprehensive understanding of open adoption. Expectant/birth mothers considering open adoption in Florida can rely on our knowledge of the open adoption options and requirements in the state. These professionals will travel to see you in person – no matter where you are in Florida – to help you make an open adoption plan that meets your needs and desires.

* In Florida, only a Florida adoption entity is authorized to work with a birth mother to place her child for adoption.  An adoption entity is a Florida attorney or a Florida adoption agency.  As an expert in Florida adoption law, Amy Hickman has extensive experience working with expectant/birth mothers and placing children for adoption in Florida. Amy Hickman’s work with Adoptions With Love provides Florida birth mothers an opportunity to work directly with a Florida attorney and experienced adoption agency professionals. 

Open Adoption Considerations

Open adoption means that expectant/birth parents have a relationship with the adoptive family. There is no single definition of what that relationship is or should be. Some open adoption relationships involve regular phone calls and emails. Others involve annual letter exchanges. When it comes to making an open adoption plan for your baby, your comfort level matters most.

There are some misconceptions about open adoption. Here is the truth about open adoption, to help you get an understanding of what it means to choose this type of plan:

• Open adoption allows birth parents to see that their child is growing up well-cared for, in a family that loves them.
• Open adoption creates the opportunity for birth parents to form – and maintain – a relationship with their child and their family for a lifetime.
• Open adoption is not “co-parenting” of a child. You cannot take your child for a weekend or holiday.
• Open adoption is not confusing for a child, as long as there is proper dialogue from the start and throughout the child’s life.
• Open adoption opens the door for a child to ask birth parents questions about their background – and adoption – directly. This has many benefits for the child.
• Everyone in an open adoption arrangement can benefit in some way from the openness. You can learn about the benefits of open adoption here.

Florida Open Adoption Services

It is important to choose adoption professionals that not only support open adoptions but also support you before and after birth. Adoption, particularly open adoption, is an emotional decision, and you should always feel supported throughout the process.

Amy Hickman working with Adoptions With Love, never charges expectant/birth mothers for any of the professional services. In addition, Florida law permits a Florida adoption entity to assist with financial support for expectant/birth mothers as they face maternity-related expenses.

Making the decision to work with Amy Hickman and the professionals at Adoptions With Love offers many benefits, such as:

• We pre-screen all prospective adoptive families. All hopeful families go through a thorough background check and home study process, which involves visits to ensure their home is safe and stable, and several interviews to ensure they are ready to raise and love a child.
• You have the power to choose. Through open adoption, you can decide on the right adoptive family for your child. Amy Hickman working with the professionals with Adoptions With Love will send you profiles and family photo albums of hopeful families that meet your needs. You can learn about their background, their love story, their wishes, and plans for their future child. Our knowledgeable staff can answer any additional questions you may have about the family you choose. If you wish, you and the birth father can meet with the family during your pregnancy and stay connected with them after birth, through open adoption.
• Design an adoption plan that works for you. In Florida, you have many options when it comes to open adoption. You have the power to custom-build an adoption plan with which you are comfortable. For some birth mothers, this might entail frequent email or phone conversations, or hand-written notes and photos once or several times a year. Whether you decide you would like an open or semi-open adoption plan, your tailor-made plan will cater to your needs. You will have a caring and devoted counselor working with you every step of the way to ensure it is the right plan for you. You are also not tied to the type of adoption you choose forever. If you do decide on a closed adoption, you may be able to open it later – whether it is three months or three years after the adoption is complete. This flexibility gives many of our birth parents peace of mind during a particularly challenging time.  It is important that you have confidence and a sense of security with your decision on adoption and know that this path is not a forever “goodbye.”
• A sense of family. While every adoption is unique, many adoptive families today typically stay connected with their child’s birth parents. Just because you have placed your child for adoption, it does not mean that you are “giving up.” On the contrary, adoption is anything but giving up. It is a brave and selfless decision to give your child a great life, one that is filled with love and an even bigger network of family. Many birth mothers feel like they have doubled their family size, not only because of their child’s adoptive family, but because of the contact they continue with Adoptions With Love. After designing your adoption plan, you are a part of our family, too.
• Free counseling and legal services from adoption professionals are available to all our expectant/birth parents. We understand that adoption is a complicated journey. We will guide you through this emotional process and be there for you when you need it most. After birth, the support does not disappear. Our emotionally supportive services continue long after the adoption, if you want them.
• Assistance with medical, living, and other maternity-related expenses. You deserve to feel comfortable and supported through this process. Amy Hickman working with the professionals at Adoptions With Love can help you cover the costs of food, uninsured medical bills, utilities, months of rent, and maternity clothes, so that you can focus on your mental, emotional, and physical health. Learn more here.