What to Know About the Adoption Tax Credit
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I am considering adoption for my child, What are the steps in Alabama?
February 15, 2022
Research and Discussion
It is important to learn as much as you can about adoption and the adoption process to ensure you make the best choice for you and your child. If you are pregnant in Florida but for any reason you do not feel able or ready to care for your child, you may be considering adoption.
Adoption allows you to place a child with a loving family. As you consider your options, it can help to understand Florida adoption law and the process of placing your child for adoption.
Gulf Coast Adoptions team consists of mothers who have previously placed a child for adoption, adoptees, and adoptive parents.
Who you discuss your decision may also vary based on the circumstances of your pregnancy. For example, if you are a teenager, you may also want to talk to your parents although it's also important to know that if you are older than 14, you do not need their permission to place your child with an adoptive family.
If you are married to or in a relationship with the father, he will probably be part of those discussions. His family may want to participate in the discussions too. This could also be the case if you are not in a relationship with the father. This can get complex, and you may want to consult with an attorney about fathers' rights if you are unmarried and you are unlikely to be on the same page about an adoption plan.
It's important to remember during this stage that there are no right or wrong answers to the questions that you may ask yourself or that others may ask you. For example, one question might be about how you would feel in the future about the adoption, especially if you don't have any other children. Taking these and similar questions into account can help you be more certain about your final decision.
The Pathway to Adoption
There are many different pathways to adoption. For example, some expectant mothers may be planning on a relative adoption if someone in the family wants to adopt the child. If the mother has identified a family member or someone else as the adoptive parent or parents, they likely will want to involve an attorney. A somewhat different situation is a stepparent adoption, but in both situations, hiring an attorney is often the right choice and Gulf Coast Adoptions is here to help.
An adoption law firm such as Gulf Coast Adoptions, which an expectant mother may discover when using such search terms such as "placing my child for adoption" or "adoption for my child," can assist expectant and birth mothers in need of help. Gulf Coast Adoptions offers a variety of services and birthmother assistance, at no cost, and can provide emotional and other types of support as well.
Gulf Coast Adoptions answers any and all questions mothers may have but the most frequent questions concern if mothers may hand-select the adoptive families, how adoptive families are screened and selected, if they are eligible for any support during their pregnancy, what are the differences between and open and closed adoption and by what date do they need to make their decision. Gulf Coast Adoptions is happy to answer these and any other questions mothers may have.
Adoption Options
The vast majority of adoptions today are open, meaning that contact between the mother, the adoptive family and the child will continue. However, for various reasons, a mother may still prefer to pursue a closed adoption, in which contact ends when the adoption is complete.
Even a closed adoption does not cut off the possibility of further contact entirely. At any time after they turn 18, children have the option to seek out contact information for the birth parent as long as the birth parent has agreed to it.
With Gulf Coast Adoptions, mothers have the option of choosing the family that their child goes to. Gulf Coast Adoptions provides pregnant mothers and birth mothers with prospective adoption family profiles that mothers can look through, but mothers are not limited to this approach to finding the right family.
Even a closed adoption does not cut off the possibility of further contact entirely. At any time after they turn 18, children have the option to seek out contact information for the birth parent as long as the birth parent has agreed to it.
With Gulf Coast Adoptions, mothers have the option of choosing the family that their child goes to. Gulf Coast Adoptions provides pregnant mothers and birth mothers with prospective adoption family profiles that mothers can look through, but mothers are not limited to this approach to finding the right family.
Having a Birth Plan
Just because a mother is not planning to raise the child herself does not mean that the birth will not be one of the more profound moments of her life. For this reason, a mother who is considering adoption should still put together a birth plan. In fact, this may be even more important for mothers whose children will be adopted since they might want to address issues around the adoption.
Decisions about this process ultimately belong to the mother, but they may want to discuss these decisions with others, including the adoptive family. In the case of a teen pregnancy, the mother may want to talk to her parents or even siblings.
During the delivery itself, the mother should think about who she wants to be in the room. Mothers should feel supported whatever their decision is.
Most of the other questions have to do with what happens to the baby after the birth. For example, the mother should think about what kind of contact she and others will have with the baby prior to the placement and where the baby will spend the first day or two. The mother may want to spend some time holding and feeding the baby. She might also want to think about where the formal signing of the adoption papers will take place. Another consideration is announcing the birth.
Birth plans often describe best-case scenarios. The birth itself is a process that often does not go quite to plan, but having a framework in place can help everyone move forward with decisions that are ethical and compassionate.
The Legal Side
The signing of the adoption papers does not happen until after the baby is born. Florida state law stipulates that the paperwork should be completed when the mother leaves the medical facility where she gave birth or after 48 hours, whichever happens sooner. This means that there is actually a brief period of time in which the mother has the option to change her mind.
One reason for this is that it can be difficult for a mother to really understand how she will feel about keeping the child until the baby is actually born. However, after that point, it is not possible to make a change unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as fraud.
This is where the birth plan will come in handy since it gives the mother the opportunity to spend time with the child as she chooses. It also allows the adoptive parents to start bonding with the child very shortly after birth.
The decision to place a child for adoption and the process that follows is not easy, but it can be the best outcome for everyone involved when an unplanned pregnancy leads to a very wanted child being adopted into a loving home.
Mothers should have both the information that they need and compassionate, unconditional support throughout the pregnancy, labor and the final process of handing the baby over to the new family.
One reason for this is that it can be difficult for a mother to really understand how she will feel about keeping the child until the baby is actually born. However, after that point, it is not possible to make a change unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as fraud.
This is where the birth plan will come in handy since it gives the mother the opportunity to spend time with the child as she chooses. It also allows the adoptive parents to start bonding with the child very shortly after birth.
The decision to place a child for adoption and the process that follows is not easy, but it can be the best outcome for everyone involved when an unplanned pregnancy leads to a very wanted child being adopted into a loving home.
Mothers should have both the information that they need and compassionate, unconditional support throughout the pregnancy, labor and the final process of handing the baby over to the new family.
Contact Gulf Coast Adoptions by phone or text message at 850-999-7977 or by email at Cheryl@gulfcoastadoptions.com to discuss your options now.
