Placing a child for adoption is a significant and often emotional decision. If you are considering placing your child for adoption in Florida, it is crucial to understand the steps involved in the process. As such, it would benefit you to speak to a capable Pensacola adoption lawyer about your options and to learn more about what adoption entails.
Steps to Put Your Child Up for Adoption
First, you should contact an adoption attorney to help you place your child for adoption. A reputable adoption attorney can guide you through the process, explain your rights, and ensure compliance with Florida adoption laws.
Next, you should work with your attorney to create an adoption plan that outlines your preferences and desires for the adoption process, including the characteristics you seek in prospective adoptive parents, the level of contact you wish to have with the child, and any specific wishes or concerns you may have throughout your pregnancy and post-placement. Your adoption plan serves as a roadmap for the adoption process and helps ensure that your wishes are considered and respected.
You should choose the type of adoption you want, the level of contact you would like after the adoption is complete, and the level of involvement you wish to have in the selection of adoptive parents. As the birth parent, you have the opportunity to hand-select the prospective adoptive parents for your child. Gulf Coast Adoptions has many loving, pre-screened, financially secure waiting families ready to adopt.
Once you have an adoption plan established. We will provide you with emotional and financial support throughout your pregnancy. We will help you secure Medicaid and establish medical care and treatment. We can assist with living expenses, maternity clothing, food, and transportation. Counseling and support groups are available to all expectant mothers considering adoption for their child. We want you to feel supported throughout the pregnancy and set you up for success post-placement.
In Florida, birth mothers must provide written consent to the adoption before it can proceed, which among other things, means that you must agree to terminate your parental rights. Florida law mandates that consent must be given in the presence of two witnesses and must be signed before a notary public. Consent can only be given 48 hours after the birth or when the birthmother is released from the hospital. Once consent is given, it is difficult to revoke, except under limited circumstances.
When you voluntarily sign a consent, you waive your need to appear at any court hearings. If your child has another legal parent, their parental rights must be terminated to proceed with the adoption. Termination of parental rights is a separate legal process and is typically required if the other parent has abandoned the child, failed to support the child, or if it is determined that it is in the child’s best interests to be adopted.
Adoption is typically finalized through a court hearing, which is generally held after a specified waiting period. During the finalization hearing, a judge reviews the case to ensure that all legal requirements have been met and the adoption is in the best interests of the child. Once the judge issues the final judgment of adoption, the adoptive parents become the legal parents of the child, and the adoption is complete.
Consult an Experienced Pensacola Adoption Lawyer Today
Placing a child for adoption is a deeply personal and complex decision. By educating yourself on the steps you must complete to place a child for adoption, you can rest assured that you are making a decision that best suits your goals. Clay H. Whittaker of Gulf Coast Adoptions is an experienced Pensacola adoption lawyer who can advise you of your options with regard to adoption and help you determine if adoption is right for you. With offices in Mobile and Pensacola, we help expectant mothers who experience unplanned pregnancy throughout Alabama and Florida. We are available to you 24/7 whenever you have questions or need to talk to someone. You do not have to do this alone! Call today at 850-999-7977 or message us online.