If you’re a woman going through an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, you may be feeling overwhelmed and stressed at figuring out what to do. In Florida, there are three options for you:

• Parenting your child
• Having an abortion
• Placing your child for adoption

While parenting may work for many women, it could be impossible in your situation. What you feel is the best option will look different for every expectant mother. Going through an unexpected pregnancy is an extremely personal matter, and how you respond is a decision that should be made by only you.

In this guide, we want to help you understand how putting a baby up for adoption in Florida could be the best option for you. Adoption can be challenging, but it can also create a better future for yourself and your baby. And we’ll be here every step of the way to help you feel supported, encouraged, and safe.

No matter what decision you make for your pregnancy, it’s important to know what resources are available to you that will help you every step of the way. The process for how to give your baby up for adoption in Florida is described below.

If you’d like to speak directly with an adoption specialist today, you can contact us to be connected with a helpful adoption professional.

“Placing” vs “Giving Up:” What it Really Means to Choose Adoption in Florida

To start, it’s important to understand terminology and wording around adoption. Each year, more adoption professionals discourage the saying “giving a baby up for adoption”. Putting a baby up for adoption in Florida is an emotional and selfless decision, making it one of the bravest decisions a woman will make in her life.

A woman is not “giving up” when she chooses adoption for her baby. If there is anything the woman is giving, it’s that she’s giving her child the opportunity for a better life.

Putting a child for adoption in Florida shows the love and care a mother has for her child.

Instead of saying “give up,” it’s better to use phrases like “placing a baby for adoption” or “putting a child up for adoption.” That’s why whenever we use “giving up for adoption” in this guide, we put the phrase in quotation marks. We understand that this common phrase may make information more accessible to everyone, which is always our goal. However, we know that adoption is not “giving up.”

We’re all going through our own unique journeys. When a woman chooses to place a baby for adoption in Florida, she should be proud of herself for even considering this option.

Putting a Child Up for Adoption in Florida [5 Steps]

As with other states across the country, putting a child up for adoption in Florida involves a detailed process. You should know, though, that you don’t have to have your decision about adoption made even when you get to the hospital for delivery. You have time to look into all of your options and weigh the pros and cons of each.

Adoption, especially, can seem overwhelming with all of the paperwork and steps involved in the entire process. But, knowing the right resources and support to turn to can help you navigate the Florida adoption process more smoothly.

There are five main steps to putting a baby up for adoption in Florida, starting with making the actual decision if adoption is right for you. Once you’ve made the decision to place your child for adoption in Florida, the process continues with creating your adoption plan, choosing a prospective adoptive family for your baby, building your hospital plan, and then learning to adjust to life after placement.

Here is a general overview of each step to help you understand the process for placing a child for adoption in Florida:

Step 1: Deciding if Adoption is the Right Option for You

”Giving your baby up” for adoption in Florida is not an easy decision to make, especially when you’re going through an unplanned pregnancy. You’re already experiencing a lot of stress and emotions, so it can be difficult knowing if you’re making the right choice in putting your child up for adoption in Florida. Not only are you making the decision for you, but there is also your baby to think about.

There is a lot for you to consider with a decision of putting your baby up for adoption in Florida. You might be thinking about = all of the emotions involved, how the process will change your life, and all of the pros and cons of this unplanned pregnancy option.

Ultimately, you may decide that putting a child up for adoption in Florida is the best plan for a variety of reasons. Some of those include:

• What kind of life you desire for your child
• Your own personal situation
• Finances involved with pregnancy and adoption
• And more

No matter what your decision is, you should always feel encouraged to know that there are people and organizations out there that can support you through every step of your decision. It is a completely loving and selfless decision of putting your child up for adoption in Florida. If you’d like to be connected with an adoption professional now, you can contact us online.

Step 2: Creating Your Adoption Plan

Once you’ve made the decision of putting your baby up for adoption in Florida, you will work to find an adoption agency that you’ll work with during your pregnancy and adoption. While working with your chosen adoption agency, you’ll take time to sit down with your adoption specialist and create an adoption plan.

Your adoption plan is a guide for how you want your adoption to proceed, based on your preferences and choices. When creating your adoption plan, there are many parts of the adoption you will want to consider, including:

• What kind of family you want raising your baby
• How much and what kind of contact you want with the family before placement
• What you want your hospital stay and experience to be like
• And more

The most important part about your adoption plan is that it’s exactly that: your plan. You are the one making every decision because this is your baby and your decision to place your child for adoption in Florida. Your adoption specialist can help make decisions for you, if you choose, but will always make decisions with your preferences in mind. You have the final say on your adoption.

Step 3: Choosing the Adoptive Parents

While working on your Florida adoption plan, your adoption specialist will present you with several different adoptive family profiles. When you’re choosing the adoptive family for your baby, the adoptive family profiles will be of families who meet the criteria you have for the family you want.

The number of profiles you can look at when “giving your baby up” for adoption in Florida will depend on the type of agency you work with. Larger, national adoption agencies tend to give you a lot more options, whereas smaller, local agencies may only have a handful of families to consider.

Once you’ve picked a family profile you like, you’ll have the opportunity to meet the family and spend time with them. You do not have to meet the adoptive family, but you do have the option to do so. It allows everyone time to start building a relationship with one another throughout the pregnancy to help you feel more confident in your adoptive family choice.

As you get to know the adoptive family, you do have the right to change your mind and go with a different prospective adoptive family. In Florida, every woman considering adoption has the right to change her mind throughout the adoption process until the finalization of the adoption.

Choosing the adoptive family for your baby can be a helpful and hopeful part of the Florida adoption process for any expectant mother, as it allows you to start envisioning the future you want for your child.

Step 4: Creating Your Birth Plan [Preparing for the Big Day]

Part of your plan for “giving your baby up” for adoption in Florida will include creating your hospital plan, which will cover your hospital stay and experience.

Putting together a plan for your time in the hospital will help put you at ease and allow you to feel more prepared for the big day. Your time in the hospital will bring about many emotions, so having the technical details in place can give you more time to focus on you and your baby during your stay.

When you’re working with your adoption specialist to create your hospital plan, you can make decisions like:

• What hospital you will deliver and stay at during that time
• Who you want in your adoption support system and who will be with your at the hospital
• How much time you will want to spend with your baby and the adoptive family
• And more

You can continue to make modifications to your hospital plan at any point during your adoption, including after you’ve arrived at the hospital. If you originally decided you wanted the adoptive family in the delivery room but change your mind when you get to the hospital, you can let your adoption specialist know and they will make the update to your plan.

In Florida, adoption law requires you to wait at least 48 hours after delivering your baby before you sign the adoption paperwork. When you consent to put your baby up for adoption in Florida, you are choosing to terminate your parental rights and place your baby with the adoptive family.

It’s important that you work with an adoption attorney you trust and who is knowledgeable about the entire process, as they will be the ones guiding you through the legal process and paperwork of your adoption. Depending on which adoption agency you work with, you may get connected with an adoption attorney who won’t cost you any money.

Step 5: Adjusting to Life after Placement

Once the adoption has been finalized, you’re officially considered a “birth parent.” With the right support, life after placement can be rewarding.

You have the option to continue communication with your child and the adoptive family through open adoption. Choosing an open adoption can be a great way for birth mothers to move forward, as it allows you the continued opportunity to see your child grow and experience life, and you still get to be part of it.

You can work with the adoptive family to establish the best forms of communication in your relationship, which can include:

• Video calls
• Letters
• Email
• Text
• Phone calls
• Visits
• Any combination of these, or more

Many women find comfort in open adoptions and are happy knowing they will always be a part of their child’s life. However, there are also birth parents who don’t always feel comfortable talking with adoptive families, and that’s OK. Your adoption agency can help mediate communication between you and the adoptive family for up to 18 years for a Florida adoption. However you decide to continue your relationship with your baby’s adoptive family is completely up to you and how comfortable and fulfilled you are.

Taking Your Next Steps

Putting a baby up for adoption in Florida is not an easy decision, and that decision comes with a lot to consider. If you choose adoption for your baby, you can take comfort in knowing that your decision is out of love for your child. There is also support for your healing process, as putting your child up for adoption in Florida can bring many emotions.

The right support is out there for you, regardless of what decision you make for yourself and your baby. It’s important to do plenty of research before you make your decision, as you don’t want to move on in life with any regrets. Adoption professionals are ready to discuss the option of placing your baby for adoption in Florida and are always ready to help and support you. If you’d like to be connected with a helpful professional now, you can click here to contact us online.