It used to be that the adoption process in Florida could easily take several years. But, now that adoption is an increasingly popular option for women facing an unplanned pregnancy and for couples who want to become parents, the time it takes to adopt a child only takes about a year or so.
The estimated timeframe of how long it takes to adopt a child in Florida is between four months to one year, depending on how specific you are about the types of adoption opportunities you’re comfortable with.
You can minimize your adoption wait time by being as flexible as possible in regards to the gender, race and medical history of your potential child. For example, if you are open to adopting a child of either gender and of any race, your adoption wait time will decrease. Making yourself open to more post-placement contact with the birth family will also decrease your wait time, as most expectant parents want some form of an open or semi-open adoption.
In short, the more accepting you are to a wider range of possible adoption opportunities, the more likely you are to quickly be paired with an expectant mother.
In addition to being more flexible to a greater number of adoption possibilities, keeping your home study and documentation up to date can prevent unnecessary slowdowns in the adoption process. Your home study will need to be updated any time there is a major change in your life, such as a new home or job.
The time it takes for the proper authorities to review your home study and adoption documents can be one of the longer stages of the adoption process, so having everything you need in order and ready to go can help keep the adoption process moving smoothly.
Bryan will work to make your legal adoption process as smooth and efficient as possible. In addition, he partners with national adoption agency American Adoptions to provide any additional services you may need, including matching. American Adoptions has one of the widest birth mother outreach programs in the country, helping adoptive families minimize their wait times.
To learn more about how you can get a jump-start on the legal processes involved in adopting a child in Florida, you can contact Bryan now at (727) 398-0086.