Adoption in Florida

Florida Adoption, Home Studies and More

Adoption Services for
Birth Parents and Adoptive Families

Please choose where you’d like to begin:

Information about placing
a child for adoption
or
Information about adopting a child

If you are living in the beautiful Sunshine State and are interested in adoption, Lifetime Adoption is here to guide you through your adoption journey. Whether you are considering placing a child for adoption or you are interested in adopting a child, our adoption coordinators are available to answer all of your questions and provide you with all the information you need to work through your decision-making process.

Pregnant and Considering Adoption in Florida

When that pregnancy test comes back positive, and you were not expecting that result, the emotions can be overwhelming. You will probably feel a wide range of emotions, and figuring out your next step can be hard. If you share your news with friends, family, the baby’s father, you may get a wide range of opinions which can make you feel even more confused.

Take a step back and contact Lifetime Adoption. You will find a caring and non-judgmental voice that can help you calmly consider all of your options. You can call, text, or fill out our online form, and a coordinator will be there for you. She can even put you in touch with a professional or peer counselor who can help you work through the pros and cons of each option you have.

What is the Adoption Process in Florida?

For over 30 years, Lifetime Adoption coordinators have been guiding expectant mothers in Florida through the adoption process. Your first step is to call, text, or fill out our online form. Then, a coordinator will find out what your wishes are and what resources and support you need.

Next, you will look through adoptive family profiles and choose a family for your baby. You can choose a family from Florida or from another state. You will then decide how much contact you would like with that family during your pregnancy. If you are placing a toddler or older child, a professional counselor will help with the plan to make the transition healthy for you, your child, and the adoptive family. You will work with the adoptive parents and your coordinator to create a post-adoption contact agreement that everyone is comfortable with.

If you are pregnant, you will also work with your adoption coordinator to make a hospital plan. This will cover, for example, who will be in the delivery room, who will hold the baby, who will cut the cord, who will leave the hospital first, and other details. You will have your own attorney, at no cost to you, who will make sure you understand your rights and will take care of all the documents and court filings for you.

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Open Adoption in Florida

Modern, open adoption is a subject most people don’t know a lot about. Now, if you choose adoption, you are in the driver’s seat. You make all the decisions, such as who will adopt your baby and what kind of contact you would like to have in the future. You can expect your adoption coordinator to ask a lot of questions so that she can create a perfect adoption plan for you and your baby. These are just a few of the questions you will get so that the adoption of your child goes just the way you want.

Do you want to choose the parents or have a coordinator choose for you?
Would you like to have contact after the adoption is final?
What kind of contact would you like and how often?
How would you like your hospital stay to go when you deliver?
Would you like the adoptive parents to go to doctor’s appointments with you?
Do you need help with pregnancy-related expenses?

If you are not ready or in a position to parent, placing your baby for adoption with a loving family that is ready and excited to grow their family is a loving and brave choice. Today that does not have to mean saying goodbye to your child forever. You can receive updates, pictures, and even visits. Many of our birth mothers have wonderful relationships with the adoptive families. Recently, one of our birth mothers got married, and her daughter was there, and the adoptive father she chose for her daughter even walked her down the aisle.

Help With Pregnancy Expenses & More!

Emily called our Florida office and had decided on adoption for her baby. She was still in school, and unfortunately, her parents had kicked her out when they found out she was pregnant. Now, due to 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, 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 and to help you make a plan for the future. Peer counselors who are birth mothers who have been through the adoption process are also available to share their stories and help you with your journey.

Pregnancy Options in Florida

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, and simply see it as an alternative to abortion in Florida. However women from all walks of life are choosing adoption today, right here in Florida!

Florida Adoptive Families

The adoption profiles below will show you waiting adoptive parents of all types and backgrounds in Florida. When you browse these profiles, you can learn more about their:

Lifestyle
Family
Home and neighborhood
Values and religious beliefs
Reasons for adopting
And much more!

No matter what you’re looking for in an adoptive family, you deserve to find the perfect match. With waiting families from across the country, Lifetime Adoption provides more adoptive family profiles for you, giving you a greater chance of finding the right fit for your child.

Jermel & Courtney from Florida

Hello! We are excited to become first-time parents through an open adoption with you. We cannot wait to share our love for God, traveling, and fun with your child.

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Bryan & Brandy from Florida

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Hi from Florida! We're excited and ready to adopt! Raising our son has been such a gift to us and we're hoping to grow our family. We welcome ongoing contact and openness with you, if you'd like.

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Ray & Lorie from Florida

We've Been Chosen

We're excited to become first-time parents! Your child will be provided an emotionally and financially stable home filled with lots of love. We welcome an open adoption with you.

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Stephen & Gabby from Florida

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Hey there! One word to describe our lifestyle would be JOYFUL! We are both creative, hard-working, and adventurous. Our home is centered around Christ and focused on family. Open to visits!

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Jonathon & Cassandra from Florida

We've Been Chosen

Hello from Sunny Florida! We're a fun adventurous couple, and we look forward to sharing our love for travel, exploring new places, and family traditions with your child!

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Matt & Danielle from Florida

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Hey there! We look forward to inviting you and your baby into our hearts and lives through open adoption. We want to share our faith, family, fun, and laughter with your baby.

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John & Amanda from Florida

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Hello! We're a loving family of 3 excited to expand our family once again through adoption. We love spending time together as a family, and our house rings with laughter and music! Open to visits.

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Corey & Courtney from Florida

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We are excited to become first-time parents through adoption and are prepared to love your child unconditionally! We value faith, family, and providing opportunities for growth. We are open to visits!

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Lou & Ginger from Florida

Hello from the Sunshine state! We are a happy Catholic couple who loves animals and going to amusement parks. We have so much love to give and can't wait to become first time parents.

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Michael & Melissa from Florida

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We are a silly, deep, and loving family of four. God is at the core of our family. We love quality time and exploring. We're excited to adopt your child of any race and are open to visits!

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Will & Clarissa from Florida

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We are a fun family of 4 that loves ato spend time together as a family watching movies, going to theme parks, and having play dates with our family and friends. We are open to visits!

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Austin & Cheyenne from Florida

We've Been Chosen

Hi from sunny Florida! We are thrilled to become first-time parents! Our home is full of laughs, love, God, and adventure and we are beyond excited to share it with you and your baby. Open to visits!

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Families Wanting to Adopt in Florida

Are you considering adopting a newborn, toddler, or child up to the age of 6 in Florida? As one of the nationwide leaders in modern, open adoption, Lifetime Adoption can make your adoption dreams come true. For over three decades, our adoption coordinators have been matching birth mothers with hopeful adoptive families. We are dedicated to caring for our birth mothers and to creating strong and happy matches between them and the adoptive family of their choice.

Starting the Adoption Process

So, how do you get started? Your first step is to fill out our short online application. To apply is free, and filling out the form does not obligate you in any way. Once pre-approved, your adoption coordinator will walk you through the entire adoption process. This will include guiding you on the creation of a profile for birth mothers to view, setting up your home study, and giving you access to the education, blogs, and resources on our membership site.
Mardie Caldwell, the founder of Lifetime Adoption, created the Lifetime Adoption program out of the experience she had when navigating the adoption of her son. The program has now been successful for over 30 years. Our experienced and very caring coordinators will guide you through this program so that you have a successful adoption journey.

Adoption Laws in Florida

Florida adoption laws can seem complex but don’t worry, you will have an adoption attorney and Lifetime Adoption coordinator to help you navigate the legal aspects of the Florida adoption process.

Typically, in Florida, the timeline for legal documentation and timeline for adoption is as follows.

The birth mother signs papers surrendering her parental rights 48 hours after the birth of the baby or on the date of her discharge from the hospital, whichever is earlier. A birth father may surrender his parental rights by signing an irrevocable Affidavit of Non-paternity at any time, before or after the child’s birth. The adoptive parents cannot finalize their adoption until 30 days after the judgment terminating the birth parent’s parental rights or 90 days after placement of the child in their home.

In addition, a home study is required as well as a hearing after the 90 days where a judge will review the home study and other documentation then finalize the adoption by issuing a final decree of adoption.
Every adoption situation varies. There are exceptions and different legal requirements depending on the individual facts of each adoption. Your adoption attorney is there to ensure your adoption goes smoothly and all legal aspects are done correctly.

Florida Home Studies

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.
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. Your social worker will ask for background information and information 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. 

Whether you are a parent considering placing your child for adoption or are hoping to adopt, Lifetime Adoption looks forward to working with you and providing the information and support you need for a successful adoption.