Florida parents that adopt children understand the rewards and benefits of adoption and the gift that they give to the children that they adopt and that they receive in return. Numerous organizations domestically and internationally work to place children in adoptive families. Some are privately run and others are government funded and operated.
The state of Florida is one such government agency that works to find permanent adoptive homes for children in the foster care system. One of the challenges for this organization is that children in foster care are often hard to place as they are older or may have special needs, including siblings that ideally want to or should be placed together. Florida has recently been recognized and rewarded by the U.S. government for its successful efforts to place foster care children with a $5 million grant to the Florida Department of Children and Families.
In 2012, the DCF adopted out 3,300 foster children, including more than 400 teenagers and many who have spent multiple years in foster care. This number represents an increase of more than three percent over the prior year. There are currently approximately 750 children in the Florida foster care system needing permanent, adoptive homes.
Adoption issues and processes can be complex but focus on the best interests of the child. If you are pursuing an adoption, whether through a foster care system or an international adoption agency, you may consider working with a private attorney to help guide you through the steps to ensure that you and your new child are able to be brought together as soon and as smoothly as possible.
Source: WCGU Southwest Florida, “Feds Award Florida $5 Million for Adoption Success,” Margie Menzel, September 19, 2013
