Adoption Paperwork

What Papers Are Needed to Place a Child for Adoption in Florida?

If you’re not sure how to sign up for adoption, it might surprise you to learn that potential birth mothers and birth fathers don’t have to complete much in the way of paperwork. Generally, there are two main forms to fill out before you begin the adoption process and start searching for adoptive families, and there will be two more pieces of paperwork for you to complete after.

If you want more specific information about the forms for giving a baby up for adoption, you can contact Bryan McLachlan about the legal requirements to place a child for adoption in Florida.

Here are some of the papers you’ll need to provide:

1. Social History

This includes your contact information (which is confidential), basic information about you and your baby’s birth father, your racial and ethnic background, and information about insurance.The social history form is helpful to Bryan in assessing what you’ll need to start out with in your adoption process and how to best move forward with your adoption.

2. Medical History

You’ll be asked to identify any illnesses or conditions that run in your family or in the birth father’s family (if known), describe any prenatal care that you’ve received, give contact information for your doctor and be asked about any drugs, medications, alcohol or cigarettes that you’ve consumed while pregnant, if any.The importance of your honesty in your medical history can’t be stressed enough; your information is absolutely confidential, and you’ll never be denied placing your baby for adoption based on your medical history. This information is purely for the health of the adopted child and will be used to find the perfect adoptive parents for him or her.

Adopted children often don’t have access to detailed medical history and aren’t aware of life-threatening medical conditions, allergies or other important medical information that only a biological parent can provide. Open adoptions like the ones that Bryan specializes in are helpful in ensuring ongoing communication between birth and adoptive families, but your complete and honest medical history (and any medical history that the birth father can provide) could even save the adopted child’s life someday.

Once you begin the adoption process and submit these first two forms, you’ll be asked to fill out some papers about an adoptive family for your baby.

3. Adoptive Family Questionnaire

Bryan partners with a national adoption agency, American Adoptions, to help women considering adoption find the perfect adoptive parents for their baby.When you work with American Adoptions, you’ll answer questions about the kind of adoptive family that you want for your baby. You’ll be asked about where you envision them living, their religion, the number of older children and pets, how much time they’ll spend at home, how much contact you want with the family after the adoption and more.

Your adoption plan is the most detailed document in your adoption process, but it’ll help your American Adoptions specialist show you adoptive family profiles of parents that fit what you’re looking for. After the baby is born, you’ll have one last major form to fill out in the hospital before you’re discharged to go home.

4. Adoption Consent Forms

You and the birth father (if applicable) will be required to wait about 48 hours after the baby’s birth before you can sign the consent forms in Florida. These forms terminate your parental rights and place the baby with the adoptive parents.Once these forms are signed, the baby will be placed in the home with their new adoptive family. Bryan will be there to make sure that you understand all of your adoption rights and the adoption consent process when you’re ready, and he’ll be available to answer any of your questions.

Filling Out Online Forms for Giving a Baby Up For Adoption

If you have any questions about placing a child for adoption in Florida, or if you’d like to request more information or begin the adoption process today, you can contact Bryan now to get started on the paperwork you’ll need.