Your Complete Guide to Adoption in Florida

Are you considering adoption in Florida? This journey can change your life.

If you are a prospective birth mother, adoption could be the unplanned pregnancy option you are looking for. It is a brave, loving decision that creates a bright future for yourself and your baby. For hopeful parents, adoption can be the means to fulfilling your dreams. Starting your family through adoption could be the best thing you’ll ever do.

There’s a lot to learn about adoption in Florida for prospective birth parents and adoptive parents.

• How does the process work?
• What are adoption agencies?
• What does Florida law say about adoption?
• Are there different types of adoption?
• How can I start the process?

This guide to Florida adoption answers these questions and more. When you are reading, keep in mind that American Adoptions of Florida is a fully licensed adoption agency. If you have more questions or would like to work with us for your adoption process, please contact us at any time.

Your Guide to Florida Adoption

There is so much to learn about adoption — enough information to fill pages and pages. Here, we want to cover five big questions (and answers) about adoption in Florida.

1. Who Can Choose to Adopt in Florida?

Anyone who believes adoption in Florida could be the right path for them should consider it. There are several requirements in Florida laws for adoptive parents, and adoption agencies may have their own eligibility requirements as well.

People from all walks of life choose adoption — young women experiencing unplanned pregnancies and mothers who cannot parent another child, hopeful parents struggling with infertility and those who feel a sense of calling to adopt.

Whoever you are, adoption in Florida could be right for you.

2. What Are the Different Types of Adoption in Florida?

There are three primary types of adoption in Florida:

• Domestic Infant
• Foster Care
• International

Of the many choices a person on the adoption journey will make, choosing the type of adoption is one of the most impactful.

Domestic Infant Adoption in Florida

When you’re a prospective birth mother, you’ll take part in the domestic infant adoption process. To do this, you can work with an adoption agency. The agency will help you create a plan, choose an adoptive family and place your newborn in a baby adoption in Florida.

If you are a hopeful parent, do you dream of adopting an infant? Domestic infant adoption is most likely the right path for you. You will, similarly, work with an adoption agency, complete a home study, create a family profile, be chosen by a prospective birth mother and finalize your Florida adoption.

Other than domestic infant adoption, there are two possible routes for hopeful parents: foster care and international adoption.

Foster Care Adoption in Florida

There are many children waiting for adoption in Florida’s foster care system. Through a foster-to-adopt program, you could choose to become a foster parent and be placed with a child who is waiting for adoption. This is not the same as domestic infant adoption in several key ways, including the average age of the children (many waiting in foster care are older) and the primary goal of the process (for foster care, it’s reunification with the biological family).

If you feel that you have the capacity to become a foster parent and the patience to participate in the foster-to-adopt process, this is an amazing way to start your family. Contact your local Department of Children and Families to learn more about older child adoption in Florida.

International Adoption

A third possible path is international adoption, also known as intercountry adoption. The rate of international adoptions has declined sharply in the last decade, but it is still a viable option for adoptive parents. This process is made possible with the services of an international adoption agency.

3. Who Can Help You Adopt in Florida?

The adoption process is complicated, and you don’t go through this journey on your own. There are several adoption professionals that can help along the way, and an adoption agency is the most important.

Adoption agencies come in different shapes and sizes. For your adoption in Florida, we would be honored to support you. Because we are a national adoption agency with local offices, American Adoptions of Florida offers the best of both worlds — a large staff with 24/7 support and shorter average wait times (benefits of working across the country), yet also a personal touch for any prospective birth or adoptive parent (from our local connection).

A good adoption agency is a pivotal part of a successful process, and American Adoptions of Florida would love to be your agency. We’ve completed many adoptions in Florida, and we can help you complete yours, too.

4. How Does the Process Work?

Each process is unique, but all follow the same laws and requirements. Here, we are speaking specifically about domestic adoption, the type that American Adoptions of Florida works with.

There’s a lot to say about how the process works. In short, an infant adoption in Florida follows these steps:

1. Contact an adoption agency and begin the adoption process.
2. Create an adoption plan.
3. Create an adoptive family profile (for hopeful parents).
4. Choose an adoptive family (for prospective birth parents).
5. Get to know each other through pre-placement communication.
6. Travel to the hospital for birth and placement.
7. Finalize your adoption (for adoptive parents).

Every adoption in Florida is different as it brings together the unique stories of hopeful parents and prospective birth parents. Together, you take part in a journey that creates a beautiful future, and American Adoptions of Florida is there to provide the necessary support for the whole process.

5. What Can I Do to Start My Adoption in Florida?

Would you like to learn more about Florida adoption or start your journey with our agency? Please contact us today. You can call us at 1-800-ADOPTION or request more free information online.

Disclaimer
Information available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. American Adoptions provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.