Adoption In Florida

The adoption process can be daunting and complicated not only for adoptive parents, but also for adoptees and their biological parents. To help give you a better idea of what to expect, we’ve included some basic information about the different types of adoption proceedings in Florida. To learn more, don’t hesitate to reach out to our legal team today.

Closed vs Open Adoption

There are two main forms that adoption can take in Florida: closed and open. In closed adoptions, adoptive parents won’t have any contact with the child’s biological parents throughout the process. Often, records about the child’s biological parents will even be sealed by the court and will only become available to a child when he or she becomes a legal adult. In an open adoption, on the other hand, adoptive and biological parents will have contact with each other throughout the proceedings. In fact, the parties may even maintain this contact once the adoption has been finalized. There are also a number of variations of closed and open adoptions. In semi-closed adoptions, for instance, biological parents may still have some input on the adoptive process, but discontinue contact with the adoptive parents and the child after the adoption.

Both forms of adoption have benefits, but open adoptions are often encouraged, as it gives adoptive parents access to a child’s birth records and the parents’ medical records, which can be extremely helpful as the child grows. Facilitating a relationship between the child and his or her biological parents can also help that child become more secure in his or her identity.

Types of Adoption

There are actually quite a few different types of adoption, including stepparent adoption and adult adoption. The three most common, however, are:

• Private domestic adoption, where the adoptive parents work with a local agency to adopt a child;
• Domestic foster care adoption, where adoptive parents adopt a child in the local foster care system; and
• International adoption, where the adoptive parents work with an international adoption agency to adopt a child.

The first two types of adoption share a lot of the same requirements. Both, for instance, will usually require the completion of a home study, where agency or state officials will survey a family’s home and verify that a child can be raised there successfully. Both will also involve numerous interviews, where the parents’ readiness to raise a child will be assessed, as well as a criminal background check, subsequent home checks, and parental training.

International adoptions tend to take longer than the other two types of adoptions and also often cost a lot more. The parents will usually need to travel to the adoptive country multiple times to meet the child. The parents’ capabilities and readiness to raise a child will also be verified by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Schedule a Free Consultation Today

For help with your adoption case, please contact dedicated Florida stepparent adoption lawyer Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. at 954-945-7591 or via online message today.

Sources:

childwelfare.gov/pubpdfs/openadoption.pdf

floridabar.org/public/consumer/pamphlet002/