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ADOPTION FAQs

Learn More About Adoption
in Southwest Florida

Most people who are thinking about adoption have a number of questions. We have gathered some of the most common questions about adoption on this page, but please do not hesitate to contact us for more information. You can complete our adoption information form or call us at (855) 933-KIDS (5437) to learn more.

As of July 1, 2024, HB 1083 provides amendments to Florida Statue 409.167, which prohibits photo listing of children available for adoption.

Adoption makes a child a legal part of your family. The term “adoption” refers to the legal relationship created between the adoptive parents and the child. By adopting a child, the adoptive parent(s) receive the same parental rights, privileges, and responsibilities that they would have with a biological child. The adoptive child in turn receives all of the rights and privileges that govern a legally recognized parent-child relationship.

Adoption gives a child a second chance at having a family. It is an act of great love that transforms lives – including your own.

Most adults who can provide a stable, loving home to a child can adopt. Married couples; single, working parents; families with or without children; people who live in apartments or own their own homes; and people of any religious faith, race, and education level will all be considered. There is also a special need for adoptive families with the love and patience to parent teens who may be slow to trust due to the trauma they have experienced.

To see children currently available for adoption through Children’s Network of Southwest Florida, please visit our Children Available page.

Children’s Network of Southwest Florida provides adoption services for children with special needs who were removed from their birth families due to abuse, abandonment, or neglect. They have entered the child welfare system through no fault of their own. Their parent(s) rights have been legally terminated, making them free for adoption. They are in the care and custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families in foster homes, group homes, or residential facilities.

For adoption purposes, “difficult to place” is defined as follows: A child whose permanent custody has been awarded to the Department of Children and Families or a licensed child placing agency, and who has established significant emotional ties with his foster parents or is not likely to be adopted because he or she is:

  1. Eight years of age or older.
  2. Developmentally disabled.
  3. Physically or emotionally handicapped.
  4. Member of a minority group.
  5. A member of a sibling group of any age, provided two or more members of the group remain together for purposes of adoption.

You can make an incredible difference in the life of a child or group of siblings by becoming an adoptive parent.

The adoption process begins by contacting Children’s Network of Southwest Florida. Please complete the form on the Adopt a Child page or call us at (855) 933-KIDS (5437). We will obtain your information so that a home visit can be scheduled.

The initial contact is a meeting that provides an overview of the PRIDE training program and highlights the criteria for becoming an adoptive parent. After this contact, if you decide to proceed further, you will be invited to attend the 21-hour PRIDE training program. After the completion of the PRIDE course, you will begin the home study process, which consists of:

  1. A minimum of two visits to your home by an Adoption Case Manager, who will provide information about the children available for adoption, discuss the support available for adoptive families, and gather pertinent information about your family’s capacity for adoptive parenting.
  2. Providing information about your childhood experiences, motivation for adopting, parenting philosophy, discipline techniques, current lifestyle, and the impact that adopting will have on the family.
  3. Completing the screening process that includes local and state law enforcement checks as well as having your fingerprints screened at the federal level.
  4. References will be requested from your employer, school officials if you have children in school, and character references from individuals who have known you and your family for at least two years. You will also fill out a worksheet reporting on your current health.
  5. All of the information gathered is sent for approval by a Quality Management Specialist. When your application has been approved, you will be notified by the Adoption Case Manager.

After approval, you are encouraged to review the online listings of available children, as well to visit recruitment events that have children available for adoption in attendance. Please notify your Adoption Case Manager when you are interested and need more information about a certain child or sibling group.

Children’s Network of Southwest Florida does not charge a fee for adoption services. The main costs for adoption are court and attorney fees which are eligible for limited reimbursement of nonrecurring adoption-related expenses. The prospective family may also incur additional charges related to travel and visitation prior to the child’s placement.

The answer varies. The process to become an approved adoptive parent includes attending a 21-hour preparation course; obtaining local, state, and federal background check clearance; providing documentation of a current physical exam; and completing a home study. These steps can usually be completed in eight months.

When a child is matched with your family, pre-placement activities will occur, including visits and regular communications with the child, the Adoption Case Manager, and other involved professionals. Transitioning the child to your home will occur when the child, you, the Adoption Case Manager, and all involved persons feel that it is in the child’s best interest to do so. Once the child moves in with your family, the child’s Case Manager will supervise the placement for a minimum of ninety (90) days. When the supervision period is completed, the Case Manager will provide consents to your attorney, who will petition the court to finalize the adoption.

A variety of resources are available to assist families who adopt children from the child welfare system including:

  • Maintenance Adoption Subsidy – Monthly payment made for support and maintenance of a difficult to place needs child until age 18. Standard subsidy is $417 per month.
  • Medicaid – Available until age 18.  If the child is adopted after turning 14, Medicaid until age 21.
  • Medical Assistance – Need must be documented before finalization; aid of last resort and is paid directly to the medical provider.  Adoptive parents should use Medicaid or private Insurance, prior to requesting medical assistance.  Case Manager must pre-approve before use.
  • Tuition Waiver – Applies to children adopted after May 5, 1997, through DCF. Exemption of tuition and student fees at Florida public postsecondary educational institutions until age 28.
  • Post-Adoption Services – Temporary case management services to assist in locating available services related to the child’s special needs.  Available until age 18.
  • Reimbursement of non-recurring expenses – Payments for one-time expenses related to the difficult to place needs adoption. Example: attorney’s fees.  Limited to $1000 per child.
  • FASFA (Federal Application for Student Financial Aid) – Children adopted from foster care at the age of 13 or older are given special consideration when applying for student financial loans or grants. (FAFSA.ED.GOV)
  • Post-secondary Services and Supports (PESS) – Financial assistance in the amount of $1,720 per month if youth was at least 14 years of age when adopted out of foster care, has reached 18 years of age but is not yet 23 years of age, has earned a standard high school diploma or its equivalent, is enrolled as a full-time student in a postsecondary institution that is Florida Bright Future eligible and has applied for financial aid, grants and other scholarship.
  • EMAS – Extension of subsidy benefits if 
the youth was at least 14* years of age when 
adopted and, following his or her 18th birthday but is not yet 21 years of age, is involved in a qualifying activity.
  • Qualifying Adoptive Employee Benefit Program – The program provides employees of state agencies, veteran, active military servicemembers, law enforcement officers, school district employees, employees of the State Universities or Community Colleges, charter school employees, instructional personnel employed by the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, tax collector employees, and healthcare practitioners (healthcare practitioners are not eligible if their gross income exceeds $150,000) a one-time benefit of up to $25,000 per child that a family adopts from Florida’s Child Welfare System.
  • Potential tax credit for the year in which the child is adopted.

    * Based on availability of state funding for youths adopted at age 14 or 15

Once your family has been selected for a child, the Adoption Case Manager will schedule an appointment for you to review the child’s case record. You will be given the child’s foster care history including the circumstances involving his or her removal, the child’s medical history including the birth and delivery information, any assessments or psychological evaluations completed, the child’s school history, and the child’s current daily habits and preferences. You will also be provided with nonidentifying social and medical information about the biological parents and birth family. You may also request to speak with other professionals who are involved with the child.

Why Adopt?