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Heartfelt Adoption Services offers the following to prospective parents:
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. How long do we wait before we are matched with a birth mother? There are many variables that contribute to how long you will wait before being matched with a birth mother, including but not limited to, your openness to different social and medical history, ethnic backgrounds, needs and wants of the birth mother, and gender specificity. 2. Can we specify the gender of a child? Gender specificity is one of those variables that can add to your waiting period. In some cases we may not know the sex of the baby at the time of matching. In addition, sonograms are not 100% accurate. We discourage parents from being gender specific for these reasons. 3. What are your requirements for adoptive parents? You must have an approved homestudy prior to placement of a child in your home. Florida law, does not permit homosexuals to adopt. 4 . How are we matched with a birth mother? Birth mothers often have an idea of the type of parents they prefer for their child. We try to accommodate their wishes as best we can. On the other hand, adoptive parents express their openness to which social, ethnic and medical backgrounds they would consider. We take into consideration all the above when matching birth parents and adoptive parents. 5. How do you find birth mothers? We advertise in phone books and local publications to find birth mothers. If you would like to advertise personally, we can arrange that service for you. The advertising is prepaid and we can give you quotes depending on what publications and how long you wish to run the ads. Contact our office for more details. Birthmothers also contact us based on word of mouth referrals. 6. What information do we receive on the birth parents and what do they know about us? The birth mother and birth father (if he is involved) will complete an extensive social and medical background history. You will be provided with first names and non-identifying information. Likewise the birth parents will receive general non-identifying information about you including your first names, possibly occupations, other children, hobbies, physical descriptions. 7. Is the birth mother tested for HIV and drugs during the pregnancy? We will request an HIV, Hepatitis and drug screen for the birth mother. Sometimes this information is available prior to being matched with a family, sometimes it is not. Birth mothers come to us at different stages in their pregnancy. If she comes to us early in her pregnancy, we assist her in coordinating medical care and she will receive the normal care including sonograms and screenings. If a mother comes to us in the last hour of her pregnancy we may not be able to get this information, however, we can try to request it at the hospital at the birth. 8. Do you have designated doctors for the birth mothers? No, the birth mother chooses her Doctor for her prenatal care. Birth mothers are all over the State of Florida and will generally choose a doctor close to them. 9. Do we meet the birth parents? Generally (based on individual preferences) everyone meets. A staff member of Heartfelt Adoptions is present at this meeting. This is a casual meeting that gives both parties an opportunity to get to know each other and ask any non identifying questions. Often times the birth mothers ask if you have thought of any names for the child. This is not considered identifying information and gives the birth mother some connectivity in her plan. However, what you choose to disclose is at your discretion. We stress that the meeting is an "ice breaker" and an opportunity for both sides to get to know each other so they can feel comfortable with their respective adoption plan. 10. What happens after we meet the birth parents, what can we expect? We will keep you notified of any changes or updates in the adoption throughout the pregnancy. It is a nice gesture after meeting the birth mother and birth father (if involved) to follow up with a note after your meeting. Any correspondence between parties comes to Heartfelt Adoptions and is forwarded on in a new envelope to protect confidentiality. 11. Can the birth parents change their mind after the baby is born? Pursuant to Florida law, the birth mother cannot sign the consents for adoption until 48 hours after the birth of the baby or upon doctor's discharge of the birth mother from the hospital, whichever occurs first. If she signs consents at the hospital, with the baby being placed directly with the adoptive parents, there is no revocation period of her consent. The only grounds for revocation is fraud or duress. If the birth mother decides not to follow through with her adoption plan, it is a violation of Florida law to force her. If the child has resided with the mother or is over six months old, there is a three-day revocation period, during which she can rescind her consent and keep the child. 12. What are the birth father's rights? In Florida, a birth father's consent is needed if he has provided emotional and financial support to the birth mother during her pregnancy. If the birth father is not involved in the adoption plan, we attempt to locate him to determine if he will voluntarily agree with the adoption and sign consent. For birth fathers who cannot be located after diligent search, a notice is published in the newspaper to terminate his rights. For birth fathers who will not cooperate, the courts determine if he provided the pre-birth support necessary to prevent adoption. All placements are legally-at-risk until the court terminates the birth parents' rights. Florida has a paternity registry. If an unmarried father wishes to preserve his rights, he must sign up with this registry and commit to paying child support or his rights will be terminated. 13. Will our insurance cover the baby's medical bills? By Florida law, insurance companies are required to cover a child's medical expenses from birth . You are recommended to contact your insurance company to find out their requirements for coverage of an adopted child. 14. What happens after the baby is placed in our home? Once the child is placed in the adoptive home, adoptive parents and the child or children are required to have at least two visits with their home study social worker until the adoption is finalized. During this time period, the biological parents rights will be terminated through the court. Termination of parental rights can take from 4 to 6 months depending on the steps necessary to terminate parental rights. Thirty days after the birth parents rights are terminated, and the baby is eligible for adoption. 15. When does the baby get the birth certificate? An original birth certificate is created at the time of birth with the birth parents' names. At the Finalization Hearing for the Adoption, an amended birth certificate is filed listing the adoptive parents on the certificate and the name they have chosen for the child. It takes approximately 4 to 8 weeks after finalization to receive the amended birth certificate. 16. When can I apply for a social security card for the child? You will need the birth certificate to file for a social security card. In the event you need a social security number for taxes, you can contact the IRS for a tax payer identification number for your child. Check with your accountant or the IRS for details. 17.
Is there a tax credit for adoption?
18.
When and how can I take the dependency deduction?
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