Benefits to Adopting
Eckerd recognizes that challenges and rewards go hand-in-hand when adopting children in foster care. Adoption provides unique opportunities to change children’s lives and enrich the life of the adoptive parent or family – and it provides other special benefits as well.
The challenges can be great, but so are the rewards.
- Affordability - While private forms of adoption can be expensive, adopting a child from foster care costs little or nothing. The required MAPP training and home study are provided free of charge – even court costs and legal fees can be reimbursed up to $1000.
- Legally Secure - Because children in foster care are not made available for adoption until a court has legally terminated the parental rights of both biological parents, this form of adoption is very secure.
- Monthly Financial Support - Families that adopt a child in foster care will likely qualify for a monthly subsidy to help offset ongoing costs. This amount is negotiated on a child-by-child basis, depending on the child’s unique needs and the availability of funds.
- Health Care – Health care through the Medicaid program is available for the adoptive child until the age of 18.
- College Tuition - Children adopted from foster care are eligible for free tuition at any Florida state college, university, or vocational school.
- Federal Adoption Tax Credit - Families that adopt children from foster care may be eligible for a tax credit on their federal income taxes.
- Community of Support - Other parents who have adopted Florida’s children offer a wealth of information and support for new adoptive parents. Pre- and post-adoption support is also available to include counseling, training and support groups.
