Adoption New Port Richey

New Port Richey 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 considering adoption in the New Port Richey area, talk to the caring coordinators at Lifetime Adoption Agency. We work closely with birth parents to make sure they have all the resources and support they need while also helping adoptive families navigate the adoption process.

We have more than three decades of experience connecting birth mothers with loving adoptive families. As a nationwide leader in open, domestic adoption, we are well-equipped to help you. We provide webinars, articles, home study services, counseling, referrals, one-on-one support, and much more.

Help for Pregnant Women in New Port Richey

Young pregnant woman in a red dress posing near palm trees
If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy in the Pasco County area, Lifetime Adoption can help you with an adoption plan. Most women dealing with an unexpected pregnancy don’t know a lot about the adoption process. Our adoption coordinators are here to guide you and support you.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your child is find a loving home that is financially and emotionally ready for a new baby. With Lifetime Adoption, we help you create a customized adoption plan where you make the choices. You choose the adoptive family and how much contact you want with the family once the adoption process is complete. You even choose how things go at the hospital.

If you need help with your pregnancy expenses, we can help with that too. Pregnant women who are choosing adoption can receive help with rent, transportation, food, phone, clothes, and more. You can talk to your coordinator about your needs, and she will take care of the rest!

If your baby is already born and you are considering adoption, Lifetime Adoption is ready to help. We can match you with a family that is interested in adopting toddlers, sibling sets, and special needs children.

Considering adoption can be emotional, sometimes that first call is the hardest to make. Our caring coordinators will help you every step of the way and help you get all your needs met. You can know for sure that any question you ask will be answered honestly and without judgment. Text or call about our Florida adoption services in New Port Richey, Pasco County at 1-800-923-6784.

Adoption Agencies in New Port Richey

Lifetime Adoption Agency is right here in New Port Richey to help you place your child for adoption. You can come into our office, or we can arrange a time to meet up for lunch. Your adoption coordinator will explain the adoption process and get you started with what to expect. If you would like to call our local number it is 352-397-2803.

At Lifetime Adoption, we provide you with:

A variety of adoptive parents to choose from. They have all had background checks and are ready to adopt
24-hour help and support
Professional and Peer Counseling
Assistance with pregnancy-related expenses
Continued support after delivery
Maternity clothes and toiletries as you need them.
And much more!

Adoption Counseling in New Port Richey

Another important resource your coordinator can provide is access to a professional or peer counselor. Deciding on adoption for your child can be difficult. A professional counselor can help you work through the decision-making process and help you deal with all the emotions that come up during your adoption journey.

Many women like Lifetime’s peer counseling. This is the opportunity to be connected with another woman who has been where you are and chosen adoption. It can be helpful to talk with someone who has chosen adoption and can answer your questions firsthand with what it was like for her. Even if her story is different, a peer counselor will understand the emotions you are feeling and the questions you may have. She can share her experience, like how she told her family, how she discussed adoption with the birth father, and many other tips.

Maternity Hospitals in New Port Richey

The thought of delivery time gives most pregnant women some feelings of anxiety. The best cure for this is to be prepared. Our adoption coordinators have helped many birth mothers create their hospital plan. They will ask you questions such as:

Who would you like in the room at the birth?
Do you want the adoptive parents at the hospital?
Do you want to see or hold your baby?
Do you want to be released before or after the baby?

They want to be sure your stay in the hospital is as comfortable and stress-free as is possible. Your coordinator will also work with the hospital to make sure they understand your needs and wishes.

If you are in the New Port Richey area, the hospitals with labor and delivery services are:

Bayfront Health in Spring Hill

Medical Center of Trinity

Oak Hill Hospital in Brooksville

We can work with you no matter where you deliver – we’ve even helped women who had home births or were traveling out of state when they went into labor.

Help With Domestic Violence, Hunger, Addiction & More

Women who find themselves unexpectedly pregnant may be struggling with other issues in their lives. Lifetime Adoption can provide help and resources as we help you find the stability you need to make the best pregnancy decision you can for you and your baby. Sometimes, it can all feel so overwhelming, which is why it is important to make a decision for adoption from a place of stability, not one of crisis.

If you are homeless or are in a domestic violence situation, getting safe housing is a priority. Here are some local resources for women’s shelters in New Port Richey and the surrounding area:

Coalition for the Homeless – Pasco County
Pasco County Resource Centers
Sunrise of Pasco County – Domestic Violence Survivors

If you are struggling with hunger, pregnant women or mothers of young children are eligible for the WIC program. WIC stands for Women, Infants, and Children, and provides an EBT card to purchase healthy food such as milk, whole grains, cheese, eggs, vegetables and fruit. They also have referrals for local services. Learn more by visiting their website:

WIC – in Pasco County, FL

If you are struggling with addiction, getting into a treatment program will be helpful. If you are pregnant, it can be dangerous to suddenly stop using drugs. There are many options, even if you are addicted to prescription drugs or opiates. Finding a treatment center that offers counseling in addition to medications (like methadone and suboxone) that help you slowly wean off the opiates can be beneficial. Here are a few resources in Pasco County:

Operation PAR in Pasco County
BayCare Behavioral Health – King Helie Adult Treatment Center

If you need other resources, an adoption coordinator at Lifetime can provide confidential help, no matter what your issue. We can help with prenatal care, transportation, maternity clothes, pregnancy verification, rent, and more. Call or text today.

How to Start the Adoption Process

So now, with this information, your next question is probably, “How do I get this adoption process started?” Your first step will be to call or text Lifetime Adoption or go online and fill out the contact form. You will be put in contact with an adoption coordinator who will walk you through the steps of your adoption plan and offer you all of the adoption services you need. She will answer all your questions and talk with you about any concerns or needs that you have. You will always find a kind, caring, non-judgmental coordinator on the line 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Our adoptive families have online profiles so you can learn as much about them as possible. You can read their letters or watch video messages to get to know them. Then, as the birth mother, you choose the parents that are right for your child.

Click here to view adoptive family profiles online. You can choose a family that is from Florida or anywhere else in the U.S. Once you have chosen a family, your coordinator will help you connect with them and guide you through building the relationship you are comfortable with.

Your adoption coordinator will also help you connect with any resources in New Port Richey you need. For example, if you need to connect with a doctor for prenatal care and transportation to get there, your coordinator is there to help you.

Get in touch with us to start the adoption process.

Get In Touch

Other Paths to Adoption in New Port Richey

Some birth parents may have their child placed in foster care until they decide if they want to parent or not. In some cases, if a baby is born with substance exposure, Pasco County Department of Children’s Services may have them placed in foster care. The downside to this is that you will not have a say in where your baby is placed or the opportunity to have an open adoption with ongoing contact.

You may also consider kinship or relative adoption. In this case, one of your family members who are generally blood-related to the child can apply to adopt. This type of adoption can be a great solution, but it can also come with its own set of challenges. Your relative may feel they are just helping out for a time, or there may be some issues with interaction and boundaries that will need to be worked through.

At the end of the day, you need to decide which type of adoption is best for you and your child. Your adoption coordinator will be able to go over all of your adoption options and help you choose the right path for you and your baby.

Adopting in New Port Richey

The decision to adopt is life-changing. This is an exciting time and the adoption coordinators at the Lifetime Adoption Agency in New Port Richey are ready to help make your adoption dreams come true. They will be happy to answer all of your questions and explain the entire adoption process. Learn all about open domestic adoption and what you can expect during your adoption journey.

Lifetime Adoption is committed to placing children in families that offer the very best fit for everyone in the adoption triad. If you are in New Port Richey, Florida, and are interested in adopting a newborn or child up to the age of six, contact us at 727-493-0933 to ask any questions. We have a free online adoption application as well as many resources on our website that you can look through as well.

We are dedicated to providing you with all the resources, education, referrals, and support you need to have a successful adoption journey.

Begin the Adoption Process

This all probably feels like a lot of information, and it is. You don’t need to navigate the adoption process on your own. To get started, all you need to do is fill out our online application. Applying is free and does not obligate you in any way.

Once pre-approved, a Lifetime adoption coordinator will contact you to answer any questions you have and to get to know you and what your adoption hopes and dreams are. She will take that information to help assess the best path to a successful adoption for you.

Adoption Attorneys in New Port Richey

Along with working with an adoption agency, you will need to retain an adoption attorney. The laws surrounding adoption are complex, and it is very important that all laws are followed, and all paperwork is completed correctly and filed with the courts. If you are working with Lifetime Adoption, your coordinator will be happy to refer an adoption attorney in the New Port Richey area.

Home Study Services in New Port Richey

Whether you choose domestic or foster adoption, you will need to complete a home study. Lifetime also provides home study services for adoptive families in the New Port Richey and Central Florida area. Even if you are using another adoption professional or have located a birth parent on your own, we can help with affordable home study services. You can get started by filling out our free application for home study services for prospective adoptive families living in Florida.

The home study will include background checks, employment and financial verification, education hours, and a home visit. Your Lifetime coordinator will work with you to complete your home study in a timely manner.

What can you expect from the home study process? First, you will collect your documents. In Florida, you will need to gather the following documents:

Financial Statements such as tax returns and paystubs
Background checks – local, state, and federal for everyone in the home over the age of 12 to include abuse and neglect history checks.
Health statements from your medical professional attesting to your physical and mental well-being
Five written references from personal friends, co-workers, fellow church members or anyone that knows you well and will vouch for your ability to be an adoptive parent.
Autobiographical letters written explaining what brought you to adoption, what your goals are, your beliefs for raising a child, etc.

In addition, you will set up a time for a home visit. During this visit, your home study social worker will gather the information on your home environment and interview every adult in the home. The purpose of the home visit is to verify you have an adequate and safe place to raise a child and to get to know you and your feelings on family, marriage, and parenting.

Education is also a requirement to complete your adoption. Your home study provider will assist you in accessing the articles, webinars, classes, and podcasts you need to complete to satisfy the 12 hours of education required in the state of Florida.

Finalization of Adoption at Court

Once you have completed your home study, matched with a birth mother, and the baby has arrived, you will have the one final and exciting step of finalizing your adoption.

Florida mandates that the finalization will be no less than 90 days from when you take custody of the baby. You will have a home visit from your home study social worker within one week of placement and then once a month thereafter until you have had three home visits.

Your adoption attorney will file all necessary paperwork at the courthouse and set a hearing date. In Pasco County, that will be at the Pasco County Courthouse at 7530 Little Road, in New Port Richey, or 38053 Live Oak Avenue in Dade City. The hearing will be a joyous occasion where the judge will review your home study and all documents and issue the final decree of adoption. Once these steps have been completed, your adoption will be final.

Other Paths to Adoption

New Port Richey International Adoption Agencies

Once you decide to adopt, one of the first choices families make is the path to adoption. For many families, the desire to truly help a child in need leads them to choose international adoption.

Choosing international adoption also leads to other choices, such as the country you wish to adopt from. Many times this is influenced by the children available, current political climate, and much more. The laws and requirements will vary depending on the country you choose.

For international adoption, you need to choose an agency that is able to work in the country you have chosen. Popular countries are China, nations in Africa, and Eastern European countries. Here are a few agencies that specialize in international adoption:

Adopt International

Celebrate Children International

Foster Care Adoption

Another path to adoption is the foster care system. With foster care adoption, you work with the Florida Department of Children and Families. To qualify as a foster parent, you will need to:

Attend a foster parent orientation.
Complete foster parent education. Have a child abuse and fingerprint-based, criminal background check.
Participate in a home study to review your readiness for fostering in your home.

Another way to adopt through the foster care system is to view waiting children from Florida and other states at AdoptUSKids. This is a nationwide project that shows children available and waiting for adoption across the country. In order to adopt, families must be ready with a home study in their state.

Mardie Caldwell

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