Adoption in Florida | Adoption Laws and Process

Lifetime Adoption can get you the help you need. Below is a story about a birth mom named Emily who needed help with expenses.

Emily called our Florida office and had decided on adoption for her baby. She was still in school. Her parents had kicked her out on account of finding out she was pregnant. Because of her pregnancy, she had no idea how to pay for these new expenses and her new situation.

In the state of Florida, pregnancy-related expenses can be covered by the adopting parents. The expenses include:

• Maternity-related medical and hospital costs
• Temporary living expenses of the mother during pregnancy
• Counseling fees
• Attorney and legal fees and guardian ad litem fees
• Travel costs, meals, and lodging when necessary for court appearances or accessing services

At Lifetime Adoption, both professional and peer counselors are available at no cost.

You can speak with a professional counselor to help you with the emotions and decision-making processes. Similarly, these counselors can guide you as you plan for the future.

Peer counselors are birth mothers who have been through the adoption process and have decided to share their stories and help you with your journey.

As the landscape changes with abortion options in Florida and across the country, women may view their pregnancy choices differently. There are only three choices for pregnant women: having an abortion, placing a child for adoption, and parenting. And as technology evolves and women can actually see what their baby is doing at 12 weeks along, it may cause them to reconsider even chemical abortions. Understanding that a baby by that age has fingernails, a beating heart, and brain waves has led women to explore other options.

For women in states where abortion is restricted, they also may be looking into abortion alternatives, including modern adoption. Modern adoption allows women to have choices, such as who adopts their baby, how much contact they wish to have in the future, and even how things go at the hospital. Women are able to receive help with pregnancy related expenses (rent, transportation, food, and more!) and be a part of their child’s life if they wish. Adoption can be a positive option for an unplanned, unexpected, or unwanted pregnancy. Many people today are not aware of all the choices available in modern adoption. Basically, they see it as an alternative to abortion in Florida. However, women from all walks of life are choosing adoption today, right here in Florida!

A home study is a legal document that confirms your ability to parent and adopt a child. Throughout the U.S., a home study is required to proceed with an adoption. Lifetime Adoption, Inc. is licensed in the State of Florida to conduct home studies, and our licensed social worker will work with you to complete your home study. You can get started by filling out our free application for home study services for prospective adoptive families living in Florida.

A home study includes the following:

• Background checks
• Medical reports
• Employment verification
• References
• Financial verification
• Visit of the home

During your home visit, you will be interviewed, as will anyone else living in the home. A social worker will ask for background information and details regarding your family and marital relationships, why you want to adopt, what your parenting style is, your education and more.

Once your child is placed with you, your Florida home study social worker will come back within one week for the first post-placement visit. These visits will continue monthly until your adoption finalization. 

In Florida, Post-Adoption Contact Agreements (PACAs) can be a meaningful way to maintain connections between adoptive families and a child’s birth relatives. These agreements are designed to honor the child’s background and help preserve important relationships in a way that supports the child’s well-being. Contact can include various forms such as letters, emails, phone calls, or even in-person visits, depending on what is agreed upon. While adoption creates a new legal family, PACAs offer a compassionate way to keep communication open when it’s in the child’s best interest.

Florida law recognizes legally enforceable post-adoption contact agreements under Florida Statute § 63.0427. This statute applies when a child’s biological parents have had their rights terminated and the child is being adopted. It gives the child the right to have the court consider whether ongoing contact with birth relatives or siblings is appropriate. If the court finds that post-adoption contact will serve the child’s best interests, it may include those terms in the final adoption order. The law ensures that while the adoption remains permanent, the agreement can provide continued connection through visits, letters, or phone calls. Importantly, the adoptive family retains the right to relocate, and the validity of the adoption is not dependent on maintaining contact.

At Lifetime Adoption, we believe strongly in the value of open adoption and the role PACAs can play in supporting everyone involved. Additionally, we make efforts to ensure that expectant mothers or anyone considering placing a child for adoption has the opportunity to share their expectations for ongoing post-adoption contact, as outlined in our Post-Adoption Contact Agreement. Our families are carefully screened and prepared for ongoing communication with birth parents when it is part of the adoption plan. Birth parents can feel confident knowing that Lifetime families are committed to maintaining those relationships and honoring the spirit of their agreements. We work closely with both adoptive and birth families to build trust and ensure the child grows up surrounded by love, support, and connection.