Answering All of Your Questions about the Adoption Process

As a birth mother considering adoption, you likely have many questions and concerns. The following are only a few frequently asked questions we hear from mothers giving their baby up for adoption. To talk about your specific situation, contact our compassionate adoption lawyer in Florida directly.

1Can I Select the Adoptive Family for My Baby?
Of course! As a birth mother, you have control over the adoption process – including whether to choose adoption in the first place. You can review as many potential families as you need to before you choose the parents who seem right for your child. We can help connect you with quality and dependable options for adoptive families. You can also choose to meet potential families in person.
2What if I Need Financial Help?
Many people choose adoption because they are struggling financially when they learn about their unplanned pregnancies. Fortunately, birth mothers in Florida planning to place their babies for adoption can receive financial support in many ways. We can help you get financial assistance for housing, transportation, food, maternity clothing, utilities, other necessities, medical care, and even counseling before and after the adoption.
3Can I Stay in Contact with My Baby after Adoption?
This is completely up to you! When you design your adoption plan, you can decide to have a closed adoption, open adoption, or other arrangements in between. We can create your adoption plan to reflect the situation you want, and we can help you find the right adoptive family who is willing to participate in your specific adoption plan.
4If I used drugs can I still do an adoption or give my baby up for adoption
If you are using drugs and/or alcohol, you can still choose adoption and make an adoption plan. There are many waiting families who are open to adopting a baby with this type of exposure. There are loving families who are ready to adopt your baby regardless of the needs that the baby might have. If you are struggling with addiction we have resources that you can use, if you want help quitting drugs or alcohol during your pregnancy. Regardless of your drug or alcohol use, we can help you get stable housing, prenatal care, clothing and other needs during your pregnancy. We work with all mothers who are in different stages of actively using or recovery. We do not perform drug testing as part of our adoption screen process and you will find that we are a judgment free zone, only here to assist you in the ways you need us.
5What is an intervention?
An intervention is a legal process that takes place when a child has been sheltered by DCF but the parent or parents whose rights have not yet been terminated choose to make a private adoption plan and sign a consent for placement of their child rather than letting the State involuntarily terminate their parental rights. There are many benefits to moving forward with an intervention.
6What happens if DCF is involved?
If you are making a private adoption plan you can let DCF know about your plan and then will often not become involved if the adoption goes forward. If DCF has removed your children or child at birth, you can still work with an adoption entity to make a private adoption plan and to work on choosing adoptive parents, but you must act quickly once child services is involved.
7Can I do an adoption if my baby is born with health issues?
Yes, there are many waiting families who are open to adopting a baby with different needs or issues. As part of your adoption journey we will assist you in obtaining prenatal care and screenings so that if there are any health issues with baby, we can make sure that the adopting family is prepared and equipped to take care of the child.
8What are the Costs of Adoption
There are no costs to you to make an adoption plan. Florida law allows for the adoptive parents to pay legal fees as well as certain living expenses such as housing, clothing, utilities, phone, transportation and food.
9What is Open Adoption and Can I choose the Adoptive Parents?
You can choose the adoptive parents and we will help guide you in finding the right match for you and your baby. Open adoption can mean many things, but generally it means that you get to choose the adoptive parent(s) and decided what type of contact you have with them. For some of our birth parents they don’t want any contact with the adoptive family, some just want pictures and emails and some speak to the adoptive family by text weekly. The amount of contact your want and the amount of contact the adoptive family wants is what gets taken into consideration in the matching process, and when we meet with you part of the screen process is to go over your ideas of adoption and post adoption contact.
10What if the baby’s father doesn’t support adoption or doesn’t want me to give the baby up for adoption?
Florida law generally supports a woman’s right to make an adoption plan for her child. Florida law distinguishes between a legal father and a non legal father. A non-legal father would have to show certain things in order to choose to parent the child. However, every situation is unique and the only way to get the true answer to this question is to call us and provide more details and information. We are happy to talk to you and give you the answers to this question and other questions you may have. You can contact us by phone, text, email or this website 24/7.
11What happens if I don’t know who the father is?
Typically a birth mother will provide to us information on the possible fathers and based on the ultrasounds we can help you to work backwards to identify who the birth father is. Every attempt is made to work with the birth mother to obtain information about the possible fathers. You can still make an adoption plan even if you are unsure about who the father of the child is.
12Does the Father Need to Know?
If you find yourself pregnant and considering adoption, you may be wondering whether the father of your baby needs to know. This situation often arises when parents have a casual relationship, are unwed, or separate before either the mother or father knows about the pregnancy. Under Florida law, both parents need to consent to terminate their parental rights in a child in order to move forward with adoption. Mothers automatically have parental rights in a child, but fathers only do if:
  • The father is married to the mother at conception
  • The father is listed on the child’s birth certificate
  • The father is granted parental rights by a court
  • The father has filed a written acknowledgment with the Bureau of Vital Statistics
In short, there are some cases in which the father of the child does not need to know about the adoption. In general, however, obtaining the father’s consent can avoid potential problems with the adoption process. For this reason, you should always discuss your options with a lawyer before putting your child up for adoption.
13How Do I Put My Baby Up for Adoption?
As a mother, there are several ways to put your baby up for adoption. It is highly advisable, however, to work with an experienced adoption lawyer to ensure that you understand your rights during the adoption process, the parental rights that you are giving up, and that the process goes as smoothly as possible. An attorney can help you in a number of specific ways, including:
  • Helping you find a suitable adoptive family
  • Arranging financial help during your pregnancy
  • Connecting you with medical care and counseling
  • Drafting an adoption plan that protects your rights
  • Helping you determine whether you want an open, closed, or semi-open adoption
  • Representing you in communications with the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF)
  • Assisting with issues related to paternity and consent
14 Do I need to wait until I’m 12 weeks pregnant to get help with living expenses?
There is no waiting period and you don’t have to be a certain time in your pregnancy to get assistance and help. Juliana Gaita PA offers assistance to all women facing an unplanned pregnancy. Call or text to learn more.
15Discuss Your Questions and Concerns with an Adoption Lawyer in Boca Raton
At the law office of Juliana Gaita, P.A., we are proud to help clients benefit from the adoption process. If you are pregnant and would like to learn more about your options and have your questions answered, contact a Boca Raton adoption attorney today.

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