The Adoption Process

Are you facing an unplanned pregnancy? Or perhaps just not ready to parent at this time? Thoughts and questions can become overwhelming. You have options and placing your baby up for adoption is a loving option to consider. We can provide information to assist you in making the decisions that are right for you and your child, and to ensure your child is raised in a loving, safe and secure home. Do you need help now? There is no cost or obligation to speak with us and we are available by using the contact form, text, phone or email.

1. Gather information - make the call and let us provide you with the information you need to really understand your options so you can decide if adoption is right for you

One of the first things you should do if facing an unexpected or unwanted pregnancy in Florida, is gather information to help you decide what is best for you and your baby. Only you can decide if adoption is right. With offices in Pensacola, Tallahassee and Franklin County, we’re here to provide information you need in making decisions, and to ensure your baby is raised in a loving, safe and secure home. There is no obligation if you would like to meet with us and there is no cost to you in making an adoption plan.

When in the process may I contact you for information?

At any point in your pregnancy or even after you have given birth and taken your baby home, you’re welcome to call us for information and answers to your questions about adoption in Florida. We’re happy to speak with you, answer your questions, and give you the information you need to make the best decision you can for you and your child. You’re welcome to call, text, Email, or use the contact form.

When may I make an adoption plan?

In Florida, the actual consent for the adoption of your child may only be signed after birth. However, you may make plans for adoption at any point in your pregnancy, including selecting an adoptive family. The right time to make an adoption plan is when you’re ready.

We can work with you when you find out you’re pregnant, any time during your pregnancy, at the hospital, after delivery or even when you’ve taken your child home and have been parenting. Please feel free to call us at 888-883-6830, at any point, to discuss the option of adoption.

Will it costs me money to give up my baby for adoption?

No. Our services are free of charge to you. Birth families do not pay for adoption services relating to placing their child for adoption.

What if I need help with living and medical expenses?

If you’re in need of help with living expenses related to your well being or that of your child, Florida adoption law allows you to receive assistance. We can ensure you receive medical care, counseling, and needed help with housing, transportation, food, clothing and the like.

May I select the family to adopt my child?

Yes. In private adoption you may discuss your individual desires for an adoptive family and we will present families who meet the qualities and characteristics you’re looking for. These desires may include religious preference, race, age, the existence of children already in the family or other factors which you believe important in your selection of a family. We’ll provide you with family profiles to help you make the decision that’s right for you and your child. You may also have your individual questions regarding a particular family answered and, in most cases, you may speak with or meet with the families as you desire, so that you may feel assured this is the right family for you and your child. Please discuss your desires with Madonna.

How will I know an adoptive family will take good care of my child?

Because you may choose them, meet them and get to know them, you may feel assured of a family’s love for your child. Prospective Adoptive parents must also complete an extensive screening process before they are approved to adopt. This process includes visits to their home, interviews, providing references, criminal background investigations, assurances of financial ability to care for a child, the review of medical and financial information, and counseling and education to prepare them for adoption. All adoptive parents must be approved by the court in which they adopt and by our firm. You may also have the opportunity to select the family, speak with them, ask them questions and meet in person, so that you may feel assured of your decision.

Is choosing adoption selfish?

No. Choosing adoption may be one of the most selfless acts, the least selfish and one in which you will know your child grows up in the home you are not able to provide right now. You may not be able to care for your child at this time in your life, but you can find the family able to do so, a family you select. If you’re facing an unplanned pregnancy in Florida, we have many available families, not just the families listed on the web site.
When you call our Pensacola, Tallahassee or Franklin County office, we will find out what type of family you believe is best for your child and help you find the perfect family.

May my child find me when he or she grows up?

Yes, if you want them to. Florida has an Adoption Reunion Registry. You can register your information with the Registry and you may also provide the information directly to the adoptive family so they may share it with your child.

Information about Florida’s Adoption Reunion Registry may be obtained by calling (800)96-ADOPT. We will provide you with an Application Form if you would like.

2. Help us understand your needs

What are your needs during your pregnancy?

Do you need safe and secure housing? There is no need to relocate during your pregnancy, we’ll work with you in your current home town if you like. Are you receiving regular prenatal medical care? If not, we can help you locate a provider and ensure you receive the care you need. Would counseling be of help to you? We have a team of experienced counselors and social workers who can assist you, and we can also help
you find your own counselor.

We can discuss ensuring you’re provided:

quality medical care

counseling

assistance with living expenses including housing and food

transportation

maternity clothing

telephone

3. Create a personalized adoption plan and find the adoptive family that is right for you and your child - start the process of choosing the adoptive family you wish your child to have

What type of family do you desire for your baby?

We will work with you to determine what qualities and features you desire in adoptive parents. Most women choose their adoptive family, but you don’t have. We have hundreds of adoptive families waiting to be considered.

What type of family do you desire for your child? What does that family look like to you? Would you prefer a traditional married couple, a single mom, a single dad or even a same sex couple? Would you prefer a family with a stay-at-home parent? Do you want a family with or without children already in the family? Are you looking for a family with particular interests, like music or sports?

What type of openness and contact, if any, do you want with the adoptive family?

We think of openness in adoption as a sliding scale, a spectrum – from no openness at one end, to complete openness at the other. You can have a plan anywhere on that scale. Would you like to meet with the family before the birth? You can meet with them in person, talk on the phone or chat via text. Pre-birth contact may help alleviate some of your fears and help you confirm you’ve made the choice of the perfect family for your baby. After birth, do you prefer ongoing contact with the family? What type of contact – texts, calls, pictures and updates or even visits. Would you be interested in staying in touch with the family by a dedicated facebook group, which would allow you both to post photos and updates? The “right plan” is the plan that works for you.

All of our adoptive families have completed an extensive homestudy process, including background checks, medical and financial evaluations, training and education. You have the time to review their family profile, and may speak with them or meet them in person if you like.

For more information, please call, text, email or use the contact form . We are available 24/7.

4. Create a hospital birth plan that works for you

Once your adoptive family has been selected, and as you get closer to the birth of your child, we will work with you to develop your hospital plan and help you understand what to expect at the hospital. You’re in charge of creating your adoption plan, to decide if and when you would like interaction with the adoptive family and if you would like them to visit with your child.

Do you plan to see and hold the baby during the time at the hospital? Do you want one or both of the adoptive parents to be in the delivery room with you during birth or shortly thereafter? Are you comfortable with the adoptive family having access to your baby while he or she is at the hospital after birth? Would you like to spend time with the family? If you desire, many hospitals will allow the adoptive family to have a room at the hospital where they can care for the baby.

Do you want to name your baby? As the mother, you have the right to name your baby any name you like. Some moms choose not to do that, others have taken time in selecting a name for their baby, and others want to work with the adoptive family to come up with a name meaningful to everyone.

5. After placement

By this point in the process, we will have worked carefully with you and the adoptive family on what to expect, so everyone is able to move forward in a positive way. We will talk with you about your desires for after birth contact and updates. After placement, we are still here for you. Many of the women we work with keep in contact long after they have placed a baby, as do many of our adoptive families. We maintain offices in Tallahassee, Pensacola and Franklin County, Florida. Just like an adoption agency near me, we’re here to help you evaluate your unplanned pregnancy options and develop a personalized adoption plan, should you decide to place your child for adoption.

Are you pregnant in and looking for info about adoption?

THANK YOU NOTES

Thanks to Madonna, Sabrina and Angela I was supported at the most difficult time of my life. Giving up my baby was hard but they were there for me all the way.

Thank you so much for support you have given me though this time of need. I was kind of upset when I got home from the hospital but I think with time it will get easier. I know in my heart my baby will be taken care of with her adoptive parents but I still miss her so much. I could not have done this without you.

You and your team have been nothing short of supportive. Your lives must be full of blessings as you bless all the lives of all those when you come in contact. Thank you for your kindness and words of encouragement. You truly do care about each individual-that’s a lot of heart!

Madonna and her staff became my support line when I needed them most. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. The experience was hard but I am still confident I made the best choice for my child and was blessed to have Madonna to be there with me. I still to this day tell mothers I talk to about Madonna and her staff when they are trying to make that choice. I owe them a lot!!

The Law Office of Madonna M. Finney
2252 Killearn Center Blvd
Tallahassee, FL 32309-3573

PREGNANT ? CALL US NOW.
Anytime. Day or Night.
Toll Free: 850.692.5113
Locally: 1.850.577.3077
Text Us: 1.850.308.1836
Email Us: MMFinney@aol.com

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The Law Office of Madonna M. Finney publishes this website for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide legal advice, and one should not act upon any such information without seeking professional counsel. The use of and access to this website does not create an attorney-client or any other relationship between the user or browser and The Law Office of Madonna M. Finney.

The attorneys at The Law Office of Madonna M. Finney are licensed to practice in the state of Florida. Ms. Finney is also licensed to practice before the United States Supreme Court.