Adoption Agencies in Florida
Adoption agencies help children find families and families find children. Whatever the reason for considering adoption, the agency that is chosen should be professional, considerate and compassionate. The adoption process could take several years, so it is important that the agency is licensed, has all its' credentials and can serve the purpose of what they are doing.
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History
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Adoption is how parents matched with children who don't have parents or whose parents are unable to provide for their care. Adoption was not legally recognized in the U.S. until the 1850s, with the first adoption statutes were passed.
Geography
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The adoption directory lists all adoption agencies in a state. Florida lists 10 adoption agencies. One of those is A Heart of Adoptions Inc., a full-service licensed adoption agency with a professional and experienced staff. It has provided a full range of services for more than 25 years in domestic and international adoptions. A Heart of Adoptions has three locations in Florida.
Bethany Christian Services was founded in 1944 and has more 75 locations in 32 states, including Winter Garden, Fla. As the name implies, it's a Christ-centered agency. It's the largest adoption agency in the country, with 1,874 placements (international and domestic) in 2005.
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Types
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There are two types of adoption agencies. Private agencies are usually where couples or birth mothers place their child adoption. These private agencies select adoptive parents based on marital status, health, income, age, sexual orientation, religion, family size, and personal history. Private adoption agencies also provide counseling and other services to the adoptive family and the family giving the children up for adoption.
Public agencies get many children ready to be adopted. Many of the children come from the state, or were abandoned. They are often older or special-needs children. Public adoption agencies are much less expensive than public agencies because of the lack of counseling and other services the private agencies provide.
Considerations
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Adopting a child can be expensive. Adoptions can range from $1,000 to $35,000 or more depending whether a public or private agency is chosen. Consider having fundraisers help raise money. If you are trying to adopt has low income, or is trying to adopt a child with special needs, you can apply for a low-interest loan or a grants through foundations that help fund adoptions. Children with special needs may also have reduced fees to help families adopt them. Some employers have an adoption assistance program. If yours does not, suggest they do so.
Misconceptions
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Contact the state licensing specialist once you choose an adoption agency to ensure that it is licensed. Contact your state attorney general's office to find out if any complaints have been lodged against the agency.
Many people misunderstand how long a birth mother can withdraw her decision to give a child up for adoption. In Florida, legal proceedings cannot begin until 48 hours after the minor's birth or the day the birth mother has been notified in writing that she can be released from the hospital or birth center, whichever is earlier. A consent by a biological father or legal father may be executed at any time after the birth of the child. The birth mother is under no legal obligation to surrender her child for adoption before the legal consent papers are signed. If the birth mother does sign the legal papers for adoption, it may be withdrawn only if the court finds that it was obtained by fraud or duress.
Benefits
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Adoptions can be good for the adopting family, the adopted child, and the family giving the child up for adoption. Children get the love and support of a two-parent home. The adopting family has the joy of adding a child to its family. The birth mother and father benefit by giving their baby a better future and can choose a adopting family the child likes best. The birth parents also can get to know them personally.
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