Adoption in Pensacola

Pensacola 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

Are you in Pensacola, FL, and thinking about adoption? Call Lifetime Adoption Agency where with more than three decades of experience connecting birth mothers with loving adoptive families, our caring adoption coordinators are ready to help. As one of the nationwide leaders in open, domestic adoption, Lifetime will give you access to one-on-one support, referrals, counseling, webinars, articles, and so much more.

Help for Pregnant Women in Pensacola, FL

Are you experiencing an unexpected pregnancy in the Pensacola area? This can be stressful. Reach out to Lifetime Adoption, and a coordinator can explain the entire adoption process and help you make an adoption plan.

Adoptive families at Lifetime Adoption are emotionally and financially ready to lovingly bring a baby into their family. You can pick a family that has the values and lifestyle you hope your child raised will be raised with. You won’t have to say goodbye forever to your baby either. You will be the one to choose a family that wants the same amount of contact you want to have.

Expectant mothers who decide on adoption can receive assistance with some of their pregnancy expenses. Your Lifetime Adoption coordinator will tell you what resources are available for assistance for rent, clothes, transportation, food, phone, and more.

Adoption is not only for newborns. It is never too late to choose adoption. If you are parenting a special needs child, toddler, or sibling set, Lifetime Adoption can help you create an adoption plan.

While it can be difficult to make that first call about adoption, you can just call or text to get information about our Florida adoption services in Pensacola. You will find a caring and non-judgmental voice ready to listen and share adoption information.

Adoption Agencies in Pensacola

Lifetime Adoption Agency coordinators are available seven days a week, 24 hours a day. You can call or text a coordinator anytime, and she will help you create an adoption plan for your child.

At Lifetime Adoption, you will be provided with:

Adoptive parent’s profiles. All families have had background checks and have completed a home study.
Peer and Professional Counseling is available both during your pregnancy and after.
Help is available for pregnancy-related costs and expenses such as maternity clothes, toiletries, and other pregnancy items you may need.
And much more!

Adoption Counseling in Pensacola

An important part of the adoption process is counseling. At Lifetime Adoption, both peer and professional counseling are available. There is no cost to the birth mother. Adoption is difficult, and talking to a professional counselor can help with the decision to be made and the emotions that are created. Your adoption coordinator will be there to connect you with a counselor upon your request.

Both professional and peer counseling are available, and peer counseling is in high demand. It can help to share your emotions and story with another birth mother who has where you are. Her own story may be somewhat different, but she will understand how you feel and the things you are dealing with. She will share her experiences and listen to what you are going through.

Maternity Hospitals in Pensacola

The upcoming birth of a baby causes most women some anxiety. Planning can help your nerves. Your adoption coordinator will work with you to create a hospital plan. She will ask what your thoughts are on things such as:

Who would you like in the delivery room?
Who would you like to be the one to cut the cord when the baby is born?
Who will hold your baby and feed your baby first?

These are just a sample of the questions your coordinator will ask to create a hospital plan just for you. Your coordinator will also make sure the hospital staff and adoptive family understand how you want your hospital stay to go.

If you are in Pensacola, the hospitals with labor and delivery services are:

Ascension Sacred Heart Maternity and Women’s Center

Baptist Health Care

More Helpful Resources for Pregnant Women in Pensacola

You may be struggling with some issues in your life and then find yourself unexpectedly pregnant. You will find that at Lifetime Adoption, a coordinator can provide resources and information so you can find the stability you need to make a pregnancy decision that is right for you and your baby. When life feels overwhelming, it is critical you find a place of stability, not one of crisis, to make a decision about adoption from.

Are you homeless or in a domestic violence situation? If so, your priority should be to find safe housing. Here are some local resources for women’s shelters in Pensacola and the surrounding area:

Waterfront Mission
Favor House of NWFL
Salvation Army Lodge

WIC, which stands for Women, Infants, and Children, provides an EBT card to purchase healthy food such as milk, whole grains, eggs, cheese, vegetables, and fruit. If you are struggling with hunger, the WIC Program of Escambia County is a valuable resource. Mothers of young children and pregnant women are eligible for the program, and they also provide referrals for local services. Learn more by visiting their website:

WIC – in Escambia County, FL

Many women struggle with addiction, and starting a treatment program is a courageous step in the right direction. A program is important because it can be dangerous to suddenly stop using drugs if you are pregnant. Treatment centers can offer access to medications (like methadone and suboxone) that will help you slowly wean off the opiates if you are addicted to prescription drugs or opiates. Find a treatment center that offers counseling. Here are a few resources in Escambia County:

Lakeview Center
Pensacola Women’s Rehab

Your Lifetime Adoption coordinator will help if you are in need of other resources. She will provide confidential help for whatever issues you are currently dealing with. We can help with rent, pregnancy verification, maternity clothes, prenatal care, transportation, and more. Call or text today.

The Pensacola Adoption Process

To start the adoption process, just call or text Lifetime Adoption or go online to fill out the contact form. A Lifetime Adoption coordinator will give you additional information and answer all of your questions.

For the next step, your adoption coordinator will guide you to online adoptive family profiles and will also send you profiles of families she thinks meet the wants and needs you have. You will be able to view adoptive family letters, photos, personal information, and even video messages. This will help you get a sense of who they are. Click to view adoptive family profiles online.

You will make the choices for yourself and your baby. Things like where the adoptive family lives, such as in Florida or in a different state, what religion the family is, do they have other children or not are all preferences you can choose. Your Lifetime Adoption coordinator will walk with you on your adoption journey.

You may need some help with expenses during your pregnancy in Pensacola. Your Lifetime Adoption coordinator can help you find the resources you need. You may need help accessing prenatal care, getting some maternity clothes, other personal needs, or other pregnancy-related needs.

Ready to get more information? Give us a call or text today.

Get In Touch

Other Paths to Adoption in Pensacola

Other than private adoption, other options include foster care and kinship adoption. You can choose foster care if you feel you need some time to be able to provide a safe home for your child but feel you can reach that goal and under certain circumstances, when a baby is born exposed to substances, foster care may be mandatory and ordered by the Florida Department of Children and Families. With foster care, the parent generally does not have a say in who the baby is placed with.

The other choice is kinship, otherwise known as relative adoption. You may have a family member who is open to adopting. As with any choice, this may be a great solution, but you need to consider the pros and cons. Make sure all parties understand that it is a permanent solution. They are not just stepping in for a period of time. You will also want to make clear the expectations of everyone involved are clear.

You need to think about all the options and decide what is best for you and your baby.

Child Adoption in Pensacola, FL

Are you thinking about adopting a baby in Pensacola, Florida? The Lifetime Adoption coordinators will get you started on your adoption journey and be there until you realize your adoption dreams. She will answer all of your questions and provide all the information and guidance you need. Lifetime Adoption in Pensacola focuses on open, domestic adoption. Start your adoption journey today.

Adoption for Adoptive Parents in Pensacola

At Lifetime Adoption, you will find adoption coordinators who are dedicated to creating a successful adoption story for the birth parents, the adoptive parents, and most importantly, the child. If you are in Pensacola and are interested in adopting a newborn or child up to the age of six, give us a call at 727-493-0933 to access more information. You can apply online with the free online adoption application.

You will find all the resources, education, referrals, and support you need for a successful adoption journey at Lifetime Adoption.

Adoption Attorneys in Pensacola

In Pensacola, an adoption attorney will be needed to complete your adoption, even if you are working with an adoption agency. Florida adoption laws can be complicated, and you want to be sure they are followed completely and all necessary paperwork is filed with the courts. Your adoption coordinator will refer a great adoption attorney to you in the Pensacola area.

Home Study Services in Pensacola

Home study services will be needed to begin the adoption process. These services are available through Lifetime Adoption for adoptive families in the Pensacola area. Whether you are using Lifetime for your adoption service, another service, or are involved in foster to adopt, you can count on Lifetime for your home study services. You can get started by filling out our free application for home study services for prospective adoptive families living in Florida.

Financial and employment verification, background checks, a home visit, along with mandatory education hours required by the state of Florida will all be part of your home study.

You will need to gather the following documents:

Background checks – for everyone in the home who is past the age of 12. You will need local, state, and federal background checks.
Financial statements. Any financial documents you have, such as tax returns, pay stubs, profit and loss statements, and any other supporting documents.
Health statements attest to your mental and physical well-being from a medical professional.
Five written references collected from friends, co-workers, or anyone else that know you and can share their belief that you are ready to be adoptive parents.
Autobiographical letters that explain why you are choosing to adopt and what your feelings are on parenting, marriage, along with your hopes and dreams you have for your family.

A home study process involves a social worker who visits your home and talks to members of the household. She will gather information on your home situation. This will verify that you have a loving and safe place to raise a child. This document will be shown to the judge at finalization.

Another Florida requirement is twelve hours of education. You can access many different educational resources at Lifetime Adoption. You can read articles, take classes, listen to podcasts, and watch webinars.

Finalization of Adoption at Court in Pensacola

Adoption finalization will be your final legal step for the adoption. This will happen at the courthouse.

According to Pensacola, Florida mandates, this happens no less than 90 days from when you take custody of the baby. There will be a home visit within one week of the placement and three additional visits by your home study social worker once a month until they are completed.

Your adoption attorney will file the legal paperwork and schedule the hearing date. Your hearing will most likely be at the Northern District of Florida Court in Pensacola. A judge will confirm all adoption documentation is correct and will review your home study. Then it is time to issue the adoption decree – time to celebrate!

Begin the Adoption Process

“So, what is your first step?” is generally the next question. Getting started is quite easy. Just fill out our online application. The online application is free and does not obligate you in any way. Once pre-approved, you will be contacted by an adoption coordinator to get you going on your adoption journey.

Other Paths to Adoption

Pensacola International Adoption Agencies

There are other ways to adopt, such as international adoption. Sometimes there are news stories about orphans in other countries, and some feel a call to explore adoption. In this case, it is very important to work with an adoption agency that has extensive experience in international adoption. The laws and requirements are different for each country and can change depending on the country’s current political and social climate.

For international adoption, nations in Africa, China, and Eastern Europe tend to be the most popular countries for adoption. Remember, though, that any uprising or international incident can interfere with your adoption plans. Popular international adoption agencies are:

Adopt International

Celebrate Children International

Foster Care Adoption

Foster Care Adoption in Pensacola

Foster to adopt is a third way to adopt. In this scenario, you will go through the Florida Department of Children and Families and complete the necessary steps to qualify as a foster family:

Attend a mandatory foster parent orientation.
Complete the foster parent education required by the state. Have a fingerprint-based background check.
Complete your mandatory home study to prove you are able to foster a child.

AdoptUSKids is an additional way to adopt through the foster care system. There are waiting children from Florida and other states. Adoptive families must have completed their home study and all other requirements the state mandates completely.

You will find foster care adoption usually involves children with special needs and older children. The cost of adoption can be lower, and the time needed to adopt can be shorter than domestic adoption or international adoption.

Working with Lifetime Adoption

Lifetime Adoption is a top adoption agency in Pensacola, Fl. Whether you are a birth parent or an adoptive parent, we are ready to help you with your adoption journey.