Giving baby up for adoption in Florida is an option for any woman considering adoption, like in any state in the U.S. Florida follows the basic adoption process outlined within this article; however, it is important to learn about the state laws that guide the adoption process. For example, Florida state laws regarding adoption include that consent for execution of placement cannot occur sooner than 48 hours after the child is born. This means that an expectant mother has to wait at least 48 hours after birth to place her baby with the family she has chosen for adoption.
While the general process of adoption remains the same across the U.S., putting a newborn up for adoption in Florida and how that process is specifically handled will vary depending upon a potential birth mother’s personal situation. In Florida, a woman can place baby for adoption by taking the steps listed below.
You Are Not “Giving Up” by Giving Baby Up for Adoption in Florida
The phrase “giving up your baby for adoption” is frowned upon within the adoption community. Putting your baby up for adoption in Florida requires courage, strength, and resolve. It is a selfless decision and it is one of the hardest decisions a woman will ever make. Instead of “giving up a baby for adoption” in Florida, say something like “putting your baby up for adoption” or “placing my baby up for adoption.” There is nothing that says “giving up” about a woman when it comes to choosing adoption. In fact, if a woman is “giving” anything, it is giving her child a better life by giving him or her different parents. In Florida, any woman considering adoption should be proud of herself for even considering this option, as it shows the great love a mother can feel for her child.
How to Give Baby Up for Adoption in Florida
“How do I put my unborn baby up for adoption in Florida?” “I want to give my baby up for adoption in Florida.” “I am considering adoption in Florida.” If any of these sound like thoughts running through your mind, then you can be encouraged to know that yes, adoption in Florida is an option for you.
The first step in the adoption process is actually making an adoption decision. After having made the decision, the process begins of creating an adoption plan, choosing a prospective adoptive family for your baby, preparing to place your baby with that family, and beginning life after choosing adoption. The following is a general overview of the five basic steps of putting a newborn up for adoption in Florida.
- Make the adoption decision.
A woman considering putting a baby up for adoption in Florida has a tough decision to make. She may be asking herself what the best decision would be for her life and her baby’s life. She may be struggling between the logic of adoption and the fear of the emotions involved in such a decision. A woman considering adoption should not make her adoption decision lightly and should weigh out the pros and cons of her options. Things to be considered when it comes to choosing adoption are what kind of life she desires for her child to have and her own personal situation, including finances, spirituality, mental stability, and environmental factors. Once the right decision is made, a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy should be encouraged to know that she will experience a level of peace with that decision. In Florida, putting your baby up for adoption is a selfless and loving decision.
- Create an adoption plan.
Once the decision to put baby up for adoption in Florida is made, an expectant mother will create an adoption and hospital plan with her adoption professional that she has chosen. (A woman considering adoption who has already had her baby will not need a hospital plan but will create a placement plan to transition her baby to the adoptive family). The hospital plan will include preferences of where a potential birth mother will deliver, when she will place her baby with the prospective adoptive family, and how she will get home after medical clearance has been given after birth. An adoption plan includes the preferences that a prospective birth mother has regarding what type of couple she desires her child to be with and where she would like her child to live. The adoption plan will also include the type and frequency of communication she desires or does not desire to have with her child after finalization of the adoption has occurred. Creating an adoption plan with an adoption professional can be exciting when a prospective birth mother considers all the options she now has in front of her regarding her future and her baby’s future.
- Choose an adoptive family.
In Florida, after creating an adoption plan, an adoption professional will present a potential birth mother with adoptive family profiles. These adoptive family profiles will meet most or all of the criteria that a woman has outlines in her adoption plan. Once a prospective birth mother is presented with a profile she likes, she will be able to talk to the family and begin getting to know them throughout the pregnancy and/or the adoption process. It is up to the woman choosing adoption to decide what family or couple her child will be placed with. While she is in the process of getting to know the potential adoptive family, she can change her mind about them as well and go with a different prospective adoptive family. A woman considering adoption can change her mind in Florida throughout the adoption process until finalization of the adoption. Choosing an adoptive family can be a very hopeful part of the adoption for a prospective birth mother as she begins to envision a happy and healthy future for her child.
- Prepare for placement.
Depending on the different circumstances each prospective birth mother is in, this part of the process in Florida will consist of dealing with legal paperwork, finishing up any hospital plans that need to be worked on, and getting emotionally prepared to place baby up for adoption. Florida’s state laws regarding adoption will determine how the legal process should be handled. Make sure that you have an adoption attorney you can trust who is aware of any personal circumstances that might affect the adoption going smoothly. Your adoption professional can connect you with an adoption attorney who won’t cost you any money. Preparing for placement when wanting to give up baby for adoption is a crucial part of the process. Just the preparation alone requires a whole step in itself.
- Adjust to life after adoption.
Placing a baby for adoption in Florida might be one of the hardest decisions a woman can ever make, but it may also be one of the most rewarding. Life after placement can be an amazing thing with the right support. As far as your child goes, you have the option of communicating with him or her while they grow up in an open adoption. You can watch them thrive and receive so much more love after choosing adoption for them. As far as birth mothers go: Healing is a journey and not a destination. This decision will become a part of your life in whatever capacity you desire. Enjoy the ride and take the opportunity of a second chance. Make sure that you move forward in life in happier and healthier ways than before.
Putting a newborn up for adoption in Florida is no easy decision. However, when adoption is the right decision, a prospective birth mother can take comfort in knowing that she is a loving and selfless mother, and that healing is possible. The general adoption process is similar across the U.S., but it is important to have an adoption attorney who is versed in Florida adoption law. If you are asking yourself, “How do I place a baby for adoption?” or “How do I give my baby up for adoption in Florida?”, then please fill out this contact form. An adoption professional would be happy to discuss the option you have for choosing adoption for your baby in Florida.