Tampa Adoption Agency
If you’re hoping to adopt a baby in Tampa, Florida, Lifetime Adoption can help you navigate the adoption process with confidence, guidance, and personalized support from a trusted adoption agency with nearly 40 years of experience building families.
Click here if you’re pregnant and are considering adoption for your baby.
Tampa Adoption Agency
If you’re hoping to adopt a baby in Tampa, Florida, Lifetime Adoption can help you navigate the adoption process with confidence, guidance, and personalized support from a trusted adoption agency with nearly 40 years of experience building families.
Click here if you’re pregnant and are considering adoption for your baby.
Families Looking for An Adoption Agency in Tampa
Do you dream of fun days with your child at Busch Gardens? Can you imagine her oohing and ahhing the animals and enjoying the exciting rides? Is it your dream of adoption within the Tampa, FL area? This will be one of the most important, life-changing decisions you can make. At Lifetime Adoption, the adoption coordinators are here to help you navigate the adoption process. You will have a lot of questions, and your coordinator will answer them all. They will cover the whole adoption process in detail. Open domestic adoption is Lifetime Adoption’s specialty, and we are here to help you start your adoption journey today!
If adopting a newborn or child up to the age of six in Tampa is a hope of yours, contact us at 727-493-0933 to ask any questions. Lifetime Adoption is committed to creating an adoption story that is best for everyone in the adoption triad. You can access a free online adoption application on our website, where you will also find lots of other resources. Education, referrals, resources, and the support you will need for a successful adoption journey are available through Lifetime Adoption.
Begin the Adoption Process
“How do we get our adoption process started?” is probably your first question now that you have all this information. It’s easy! Just fill out our FREEonline application. There is no obligation.
Your information will be reviewed by Lifetime, and once pre-approved, you will be contacted by an adoption coordinator who will answer any questions you have. The entire Tampa adoption process will be explained, and she will create an adoption plan to fit your needs.
Adoption Attorneys in Tampa
Home Study Services in Tampa
Your home study will include background checks, employment and financial verification, a home visit, and access to resources for your mandatory education hours. Getting your home study done as quickly as possible will help you move your dreams of adoption along. Your adoption coordinator will walk you through the whole process.
What Do You Need to Prepare For Home Study
So, what all is involved in completing the home study? First, you will collect all of your documents. This is not what anyone thinks of as the most exciting part of your adoption process, but it is very important. In Tampa, Florida, you will need to gather the following documents:
- Financial Statements such as tax returns, bank statements, profit and loss statements, or paystubs.
- Background checks – if you live in the home and are over the age of 12, you will need a local, state, and federal background check. This will include history checks for neglect and abuse.
- Autobiographical letters that explain why you hope to adopt and what your beliefs are regarding parenting, marriage, and any other facts about your life you would like to share.
A home visit from your home study social worker will also be a part of your home study. Every adult in the home will be interviewed, and the social worker will view your home environment. This home visit is done to establish that you have a safe and adequate place to raise a child. You will also have a discussion about your feelings and views on family, marriage, and parenting.
In the state of Florida, education is required to complete your adoption. Through Lifetime Adoption, you can access classes, articles, podcasts, and webinars. At least 12 hours of education must be completed to satisfy the state requirement in Florida.
Finalization of Adoption at Court in Tampa
So you have now completed your home study, been matched with a birth mother, and your baby has arrived. Now, you can finalization your adoption with the courts.
The finalization of adoption will be no less than 90 days from when you take custody of the baby, according to Florida mandates. In addition, to finalize, you must have a home visit with your home study social worker within one week of the placement. Then you’ll meet with your social worker once a month until you have had a total of three visits.
Now your adoption attorney will file all the necessary paperwork with the courthouse. The judge will schedule a hearing date at the Thirteenth Judicial Court of Hillsborough County at 800 E. Twiggs St. Tampa, FL 33602. At the hearing, the judge will review all of your documents and review the home study. Then the exciting part – the final decree of adoption will be issued. Time to celebrate! Because your adoption is now final.
Other Paths to Adoption
Tampa International Adoption Agencies
Another route to adoption is international adoption. Some couples hear of orphans in countries that are struggling or have been hit by a natural disaster. They would like to help the children in need. This is very good-hearted but take some time to talk with an international adoption agency. Every country has its own requirements and laws that must be followed. If a country has had a natural disaster, it may be in a state of turmoil and unable to process adoption requests. If the government is in a state of unrest, adoptions may be put on hold. Make sure you do your research.
Some of the most popular countries for international adoption are nations in Eastern Europe, African nations, and China. Make sure the agency you choose is able to work in the country and has experience in that country. Here are some agencies that specialize in international adoption:
Foster Care Adoption
- Complete the required foster parent education.
- Have fingerprint-based, criminal background check to confirm no history of child abuse or neglect.
- Attend a mandatory foster parent orientation.
- Complete a home study with a social worker to certify your ability to foster in your home.
To have access to foster kids across the nation who are hoping to be adopted, check out AdoptUSKids. This is a nationwide project and is a great resource for families wanting to adopt from the foster care system. To qualify, families must have a completed home study and any other requirements in their state.
The time and cost to adopt are generally shorter than with newborn, domestic adoption, or international adoption. It is important to note that primarily foster care adoption involves older children and children with special needs.
Lifetime Adoption, Inc. is a Licensed Child Placing Agency in Arkansas. (License AR #00050809)
Copyright © | Lifetime Adoption
