FAQs for adoptive parents

how do i begin?

  • Research your choices

  • Speak to trusted colleagues and professionals

  • Join local and national adoption support groups

  • Obtain current information on your state law if you are considering Domestic adoption

  • If you are considering special needs adoption do you have the most current information on adoption subsidies and adoption assistance in special needs adoption placement?

  • Obtain current information on the Interstate transfer of a child if you are considering the adoption of a child in another state

  • Obtain current information on the Immigration requirements if you are considering adoption in another country, as well as information on that country’s laws regarding adoption.

  • Research the qualifications of the agency or attorney who will assist you in this adoption

  • Speak to other adoptive families who have worked with the adoption professional you are considering.

What do i do while i’m waiting?

  • Keep yourself informed about current adoption information affecting your type of adoption and the laws that regulate such an adoption.

  • Attend adoption support groups if one is available in your city.

  • Remember that people with both positive and negative stories can be found on the internet or in the news. Certainly failed stories are very hard to read about but do not let these types of stories adversely affect your desire to adopt.

  • Visit sites of importance to adoption such as:
    www.adoption.com
    www.adoptivefamilies.com

​Your wait will depend upon the expectant parent making a choice to place their child for adoption with you. Your adoption professional should have an idea as to how long this may take based upon the type of child you wish to parent. Many expectant parents are intimately involved in this choice and request to meet with prospective parents. Although this may seem to be very difficult it can remove the unknown from adoption while still preserving confidentiality. It allows for information to be exchanged in a controlled environment, and provides for a better understanding of each person.

Once chosen, your wait could be 1 year, or tomorrow if the child is already born. That is why preparation is so vital. Through proper planning and with the help of a trained professional you should be successful in your placement. Make sure to ask questions about the following:

  • The process

  • Parental rights and how they are extinguished

  • Your rights

  • The estimated fees and costs of the adoption.​

An accounting should be made available to you for you to see what your fees and costs are. Most states, (including Florida), require court approval of adoption costs. Once the child is born and placed with you, your professional will prepare the proper paperwork to terminate the parental rights of the biological parents and to establish your parental rights in the child. Once this is successfully completed your journey will begin– that of being a parent at last!

what do i do to get started?

  • Contact the professional you have selected and schedule a visit to discuss the program of your choice or to discuss adoption in general if you have not decided on a specific program as yet. Typically an Adoption professional will give you an opportunity to explore options and will be happy to explain their state’s regulations and laws as to Domestic adoption. They should be equally educated on the placement of children out of state.

  • Explore options including the typical risks involved in each type of adoption. Come prepared with a written list of questions. The adoption process can be complicated but with the help of a trained professional the process is much easier.

What services would florida adoption law group provide me with?

  • Pre-Adoptive counseling.

  • Help you meet prospective expectant parents.

  • Develop an Adoption Plan that you feel comfortable in pursuing.

  • Supervise the adoption process to finalization.

  • File all necessary documents for the court finalization of the adoption.

  • Comply with all Laws regarding your adoption plan and with the Interstate Compact of the Placement of Children between States.

  • Preserve your confidentiality.

What do i do next?

If you have chosen to pursue Domestic Adoption you will need to: 

- Register with a Licensed Professional in your state who can do an adoption home study. Florida   Adoption Law Group, P.A. will make a free referral for you to a provider in your area.

- Arrange for a Home Study to be done. A Home study is a written document that is generated after the social work professional meets with you and is provided required information. This is a required document in adoption placement. Information must be provided and includes but may not be limited to:

  • Employment information

  • Health information

  • Police clearances

  • Child abuse clearances

  • Visits to the home

  • Sociological history

  • Relational History

​This document is a picture of you as a potential parent. What kind of parent will you be? Are you prepared to parent a child? Some professionals require a psychological examination as part of the home study to determine suitability for placement.

Once the home study is completed a search for a child can begin. Many states allow advertising by adoption professionals. Adoptive parents often turn to the internet themselves to locate an expectant mother. Many matches have been made this way but there have been heartaches also. In some cases an expectant mother has agreed to place with multiple families which has resulted in both emotional and a financial loss to the adoptive parent. Seek the assistance of a trained professional to monitor and evaluate the risk of a particular situation. Professionals in adoption seek to prevent adoption abuse and will assist prospective biological as well as adoptive parents to obtain the most accurate information available.

​Florida Adoption Law Group, P.A. has ongoing advertising programs available to you for advertising in the State of Florida. If you are interested please discuss this at the time of your consultation.

If you desire Florida Adoption Law Group, P.A. to create an adoption Plan you will need to have the following documents sent to us and a consultation will be scheduled for you: Completed Application with attachments, Completed Home Study, 3 Family Profiles –Color digital and/or paper