Private domestic adoption
Getting started
Welcome to the beginning of an extraordinary journey! If you're considering adoption in Florida, you are embarking on a life-changing path filled with love, challenges, and rewarding experiences. Whether you are looking to grow your family or facing an unplanned pregnancy, understanding the adoption process in the Sunshine State is your first step. This article will guide you through the essentials of getting started with adoption in Florida, covering legal requirements, types of adoption available, and how to prepare yourself for what lies ahead. Let’s take these first steps together.
Legal requirements
Here are some key legal requirements regarding adoption in Florida for adoptive families and birth parents:
For Adoptive Families:
- **Home Study:** Must complete a home study that includes background checks, interviews, and home visits to assess the environment and stability.
- **Age Requirement:** Adoptive parents must be legally competent and typically at least 21 years old, although exceptions may apply.
- **Residency:** There are no strict residency requirements in Florida, but one must be a U.S. resident. Non-residents may adopt only if the child cannot be placed within the state.
- **Legal Capacity:** Adoptive parents must be able to legally act and provide for the child.
- **Background Checks:** Required to pass state and federal criminal background checks.
- **Marital Status:** Single individuals, married couples, and divorced persons can adopt, provided they meet other requirements.
For Birth Parents:
- **Consent:** Birth parents must consent to the adoption, typically not before the child is 48 hours old.
- **Revocation of Consent:** Consent may be revoked within a specified period, usually very brief, unless deemed irrevocable under certain conditions.
- **Counseling:** Birth parents are often encouraged or required to receive counseling before and after the adoption to ensure their decision is informed and voluntary.
- **Financial Support:** Birth parents may receive financial assistance for medical and legal expenses related to the pregnancy and adoption process, as regulated by state law.
- **Legal Representation:** Birth parents have the right to independent legal representation to ensure their rights are protected throughout the adoption process.
These requirements are designed to ensure the safety and welfare of the child, and to protect the rights of all parties involved in the adoption process.
Here at Destiny Adoption, we work with adoption attorney Tammi Driver to handle the legal aspects of adoption.
Types of Adoption in FL
By Placement:
- Entity Adoption (Agency Adoption): Facilitated by a licensed adoption agency or intermediary. This can include domestic infant adoption, foster care adoption, and international adoption.
- Independent Adoption: Birth parents and adoptive parents arrange the adoption directly, with legal guidance.
By Relationship:
- Stepparent Adoption: A stepparent adopts their spouse's biological or adopted child.
- Relative Adoption (Kinship Adoption): A relative (like an aunt, uncle, or grandparent) adopts the child.
- Adult Adoption: An adult is adopted by another adult, often to create a legal parent-child relationship.
- By Level of Contact:
- Open Adoption: Birth parents and adoptive family have varying degrees of contact, exchanging information and updates.
- Closed Adoption: Minimal to no contact between birth parents and adoptive family.