In the State of Florida, Birth Mother cannot sign her Consent for Adoption until 48 hours after the baby is born. She can sign earlier if she is discharged from the hospital before 48 hours (which does not usually happen unless she requests to be allowed to go). She can change her mind about the…
Yes, if he is the legal father (married to the Birth Mother at the time of Conception). If his whereabouts are unknown, the Putative Father Registry has to be checked and a Diligent Search has to be made. No, if he is not the legal father. However, information has to obtained from the Birth Mother…
Every situation is different, but generally, if the Birth Father has not been involved with the Birth Mother during the pregnancy and cannot show that he has supported her emotionally and financially, his parental rights can be terminated by the Court regardless of his wishes. In situations where the circumstance is not cut and dried,…
The law is very firm on the types of expenses which prospective Adoptive Parents can pay. The law states “reasonable living expenses.” There is a good reason why the law makes this stipulation, it is to prevent the “buying” of babies. Reasonable living expenses can include living expenses such as rent, utilities, telephone service, food,…
No, unless the court finds that the Consent to Adoption was signed under fraud or duress. However, if the child is over six (6) months, when the birth mother signs the Consent, the Consent is subject to a revocation period of three (3) business days.
Yes. Florida law permits adoptive parents to pay reasonable living expenses, during the pregnancy and for a maximum of six weeks following delivery, if the birth mother is unemployed, underemployed or suffering from a medically diagnosed disability.
All our Birth mothers are required to fill out a self-report medical and social history. Included in the medical section are questions about substance use. We ask for information on the type of substances used, currently and in the past, and how often the substance was/is used. Of course, we cannot guarantee accuracy with any…
Birth Mothers will generally be screened for HIV, drug screening, hepatitis syphilis, anemia, and all normal OB/GYN testing. Prospective Adoptive Parents may request additional testing but may not request amniocentesis unless it is suggested by Birth Mother’s medical professional for a genuine medical reason. Sonograms are routinely used as a screening tool.
The biological parents cannot take the child back once their parental rights have been terminated.
Yes, we do require drug testing for our birth mothers. We have a judgment-free environment and encourage our Birth Mothers to be honest and disclose their substance use, past and present. We require self-report, but we also require testing. Birth Mothers choosing not to disclose are welcome to work with other agencies that do not…
