Adoption
You don’t have to be perfect to be considered for adoption; if you have the ability to love a child, provide the basics and make a lifelong commitment, you can adopt a child from foster care. Patience, flexibility, and a sense of humor are also important qualities to have. You do need to be at least 21 years old to adopt. And although there is no minimum income requirement for adopting, you must have stable income sufficient to support yourself and your family. To adopt a child, you can be married or single; own your home or rent. You can be raising children of your own, never a parent before or an empty-nester who wants to be a parent again.
Just like you don’t have to be perfect to be considered for adoption, you don’t have to be rich either. Income will be addressed as part of the home study to ensure that an adoptive parent is financially stable and able to provide for the basic needs of themselves and their family. Potential adoptive parents are never disqualified based on income alone.
No. When you adopt a child from foster care, you will not be charged for the pre-adoptive training, home studies, background screenings, or placement. In most cases, all expenses related to attorney fees and court costs are reimbursed. In addition, other one-time-only expenses that may be reimbursed are birth certificate fees and travel expenses for visiting the child.
The first step is to call 866-233-0790 to sign up for a free orientation where you’ll learn more about available children and the adoption process. You’ll then be scheduled for Florida’s free standardized training course called MAPP (Model Approaches to Partnerships in Parenting). Next, you and all household members will be background screened, and a home study will be performed – all at no cost to you. Once your home study is approved, you’ll learn about available children that may be a good match for your family and, based on how your strengths meet their needs, you’ll potentially be matched. If matched, the child will live in your home for a minimum of 90 days. The final step in the process is the adoption finalization in a court of law, at which time the child becomes a legal and permanent member your family.
Children seeking adoption are no different than children with families – only they lack the support and stability that permanent, loving parents can offer. These children come into foster care through no fault of their own as a result of parental abuse, neglect or abandonment. They come from varied backgrounds, circumstances, races and ethnicities. While some have specific medical, physical or emotional issues that require special care, many do not. When children in foster care are available for adoption, this means the legal rights of their biological parents have been terminated and they will never be returned to their homes.
“Special needs” is a federal, legal definition that applies to most children in foster care. It means the child qualifies for an adoption subsidy, but it does not mean the child necessarily has any disability. In Florida, any of the following criteria qualifies a child for special needs assistance:
- Age 8 or older
- Member of a sibling group being placed for adoption together
- African American or racially mixed
- Significant emotional ties with foster parents or a relative caregiver
- Mental, physical or emotional handicap
Although it varies greatly, children available for adoption are typically six years old or older.
Pre- and post-adoption support is available to include counseling, training and support groups. In addition, families that adopt a child in foster care will likely qualify for a monthly adoption subsidy to help offset ongoing costs, as well as health care through the Medicaid program for the child until age 18. Children adopted from foster care are also eligible for free tuition at any Florida state college, university, or vocational school.
If there is already an identified child for the family, the adoption process from training to finalization typically takes about nine to twelve months.
Yes. One of the benefits of adopting from the state is having access to a comprehensive case history and full disclosure. You will be given information on the child’s medical background, foster placements and developmental level. You will also be given insight into the child’s personality, habits, hobbies, aspirations, likes and dislikes. This information helps determine how the child will fit into your family.
Once the adoption is finalized in a Florida court of law, the child becomes a permanent and legal member of the adopting family, affording the adoptive parents all rights and responsibilities that come with parenting a biological child.
No. Florida’s children are not made available for adoption until a court has terminated the parental rights of their birth parents. This form of adoption is very secure.
Call 866-233-0790 to sign up for a free informational orientation. There is no obligation to attend, and all you’ll be out is your time.
