Established in 1995 by then President Bill Clinton, after starting out as Adoption Week by Massachusetts Governor Mike Dukakis in 1976, November is now known as National Adoption Month. This honor was created to bring attention to the crucial need for children and youth to be adopted in the foster care system.
Adoption hits close to home for me. My older brother, along with his wife, fostered, then adopted my nephew when he was five years old. I could not imagine what my family would be like without this smart, energetic, imaginative addition.
One may think that adoption will cost a lot of money, take too much effort, or will take a long time before getting a child into your home. While all of this can be true if you go down the path of private or international adoption agencies, by going with in-state adoption, you can avoid some of that. There are a wealth of benefits from adopting within the state of Florida. Adopting a child through Florida’s foster care system can cost little to nothing for the perspective parents(s). Home studies and training classes are free and even court cost and fees can be covered. Other benefits can include free in-state college tuition for the adoptee, Medicare health care until age 18, monthly subsidies, and the maximum federal adoption tax credit when filing your taxes.
If you are interested in getting more information about how to foster and adopt within Alachua County or the state of Florida, here are some great resources and organizations.
Florida Department of Children and Families
The Explore Adoption initiative established by the Florida Department of Children and Families provides information about the benefits of adopting a child, provides local resources, and has a search function to find your potential future child(ren).
Partnership for Strong Families
Established in 2003, Partnership for Strong Families is focused on child welfare services for those that are victims of abuse and neglect. Their goal is to prevent abuse and decrease the number of children entering the foster care system.
Children’s Home Society of Florida
Children’s Home Society of Florida’s focus is on child welfare services, in other words, foster care and adoption. They also focus on community needs such as early childhood services, mental health and counseling services, mentorships, community partnerships and more.
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