The Adoption Process

PLEASE CONSIDER ADOPTING A CHILD FROM FOSTER CARE.

The challenges can be great, but so are the rewards

Patience, commitment, and unconditional acceptance; these are keys to parenting. Most children thrive as they adjust and grow in a secure home environment. Are there special requirements? Yes. Adoptive parents of foster care children must be consistent, yet flexible, strong, yet nurturing.

• You may be married or single
• You may own your home, or rent
• You must be at least 18 years of age
• You can work outside the home
• You must be able to work in partnership with the system of care

Basic requirements at a glance

• Attend an informational meeting to learn more about the requirements of becoming a foster or adoptive parent.
• Prospective foster and adoptive parents must attend 30-hours of training entitled the Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP). Training is segmented into eight sessions.
• All adult household members (18 years and older) must receive satisfactory background checks.
• You will have a series of visits with a Family Development Specialist who will assess your readiness to become a foster or adoptive parent.
• You must have adequate income to meet your family's need without relying on public assistance.
• Every child must have a bed within a bedroom.
• You will need to obtain a Home Study and Application Approval. Once your home study is approved, adoption staff will begin searching for children that may fit your family.
• Once a child has been identified, you will begin a meeting and visitation process.
• If match goes well, the child will move into your home. After a 90-day supervision period of the child living in your home, the process is completed by finalizing the adoption in court.

Support

• Adoption subsidy payment is available to parents adopting children with special needs.
• Medical assistance is available through age 18.
• Costs related to the legal process of adoption are reimbursed up to a predetermined amount.
• Children adopted from foster care in Florida may be eligible for tuition waiver if attending a State College, university, or technical school.
• State of Florida employees may qualify for additional subsidies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who can be an adoptive parent?

A: Individuals that are willing to support a special child, and able to offer their time, attention and understanding to that child. Adoptive parents may be young or old, single or married, with or without children, and must have completed Florida's FREE standardized course of MAPP (Model Approaches to Partnerships in Parenting) training. A family's annual income isn't as important as their ability to open their hearts and homes to a special child.

Q: What types of children are in need of adoptive families?

A: Children seeking adoption are no different from children with families—only they lack the love and support offered by caring, loving parents. These children's ages range from birth to 17 years and they may be part of a sibling or minority group.

Q: What type of assistance is offered to the children and their adoptive family?

A: Children and their adoptive families receive support from adoption professionals, which may include referrals for individual therapy, support groups and paid medical.

Q: How long does the entire adoption process take?

A: In most cases, the entire process takes between 8-12 months before a child's placement in your home is finalized.

Q: Is adopting a child expensive?

A: In the State of Florida, all children classified as "special needs" are adoptable by a qualifying family with little or no cost. All major expenses related to the adoption process are paid by the State and the family normally incurs costs only for outings with the child, the purchase of any gifts, etc.

Q: What happens once the adoption is finalized?

A: Once finalized in a Florida Court of Law, the child becomes a permanent member of the adopting family, affording parents all rights and responsibilities that would come with a biological birth child.

Q: Does the adopted child or family receive any benefits?

A: In most cases, the State of Florida offers a monthly subsidy for the continued care of the child. Most children are eligible for Medicaid Health Insurance and, with minimal qualification, four years of college tuition at a State funded college or university.

For more information on our children waiting to be adopted, please contact: us at 904.421.5839.