The birthfather does not have to be involved in the adoption process. However, his consent is required if he has provided emotional and financial support to the birthmother during pregnancy or if he was married to the birthmother at time of conception or birth. If the whereabouts of the birth father are unknown, we attempt to locate him and seek his voluntary consent. If a search is conducted and we are unable to locate him, we will file a motion in court to waive off his consent.

For unmarried birthfathers who wish to preserve their parental rights, they must sign up with the paternity registry in Florida. They will also have to pay child support and help with the birthmother’s delivery and medical expenses. Failure to do so will result in his consent not being required to carry on with the adoption. For birthfathers who do not consent to the adoption, the court will determine if he has fulfilled all the necessary requirements to claim his legal rights to the child.

All birthmothers go through an extensive medical screening including HIV, Hepatitis and drug testing. Medical records from the birthmother’s doctor are provided as soon as they are received, and updated through out the pregnancy as needed. The medical information of birth mothers is usually available prior to being matched with the adoptive parents. However, this may not be possible if the birthmother comes to us in the very last stages of her pregnancy but we will try to request it at the time of birth.

Your insurance policy should cover the adoptive child’s medical expenses after he has been legally placed. All pre-natal medical expenses will be covered by the birthmothers’ medical insurance. If she does not have insurance, we will apply for Medicaid on her behalf. However, adoptive parents may have to pay for the reasonable living expenses of the birthmother.

Once the birthmother signs the consent for adoption, she relinquishes her parental rights and cannot revoke her decision. However, she can change her mind at any time during the adoption process and it is illegal to pressurize her.

The birthmother cannot sign the consent for adoption until 48 hours after the birth or upon discharge from the hospital, whichever comes first. There will be no revocation period if she signs the consent at the hospital and the baby is placed directly with the adoptive parents. However, there is a three day revocation period if the child is over six months old or has resided with the birthmother. She can also revoke her decision in case of fraud or duress.

After the child’s placement, the adoptive parents are required to have at least two visits from their home study social worker. During this time the parental rights of the birth parents are terminated and this usually takes from 4 to 6 months. The baby is eligible for adoption after 30 days of the termination of parental rights. The final hearing is scheduled after the post-placement reports and final paperwork is complete.

At the time of birth, an original birth certificate (OBC) is made with the name of the birth parents. Once the adoption is finalized, the name of the birth parents is changed with those of the adoptive parents, along with the name they have chosen for the child and an amended birth certificate (ABC) is issued. This generally takes from 4 to 8 weeks after the finalization.

You can apply for the child’s social security card after you receive the birth certificate. You can contact the IRS for a tax payer identification number of your child if you need the SSN for taxation purpose. You will also qualify for Adoption Tax Credit the year adoption is finalized. The tax credit is gradually increased for higher income slabs. You can download the IRS Form W-7A at www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc607.html. For details on other tax related benefits, please contact your tax advisor or the IRS. You can also visit www.nacac.org for more information.