Foster Care Adoption Legal Services
I am proud to finalize the adoptions of children from the foster care system.
Before attending law school, I worked with children in the foster care system for many years as a licensed mental health counselor. Finalizing a child’s adoption with his or her forever family is one of my greatest joys in my law practice.
Why Adopt from the Foster Care System?
There is an average of 400,000 children in the U.S. foster care system annually. And each year, over 26,000 children age out of the system. Aging out means that at the age of 18 years old a foster child is on their own with almost no resources — housing, financial or emotional support.
Facing the world without the love or support of a family is bleak. Statistics show the results — a significant decrease in high school graduation and post-secondary education and an increase in homelessness, unplanned pregnancy, trauma, drugs, and other criminal activities.
Benefits of Foster Care Adoption
You can be a hero in the life of a child. You can make a difference in their lives and your community by giving them the opportunity of their lifetime — a loving, safe, and permanent family. Foster care adoption helps to:
- Provide children with a stable support system and positive role models.
- Offer a child a home and living necessities.
- Reunite or maintain sibling groups when adopted together.
- Increase achievement of educational milestones, such as high school graduation and post-secondary education or training.
- Develop skills needed for independence, including work experience, career planning, and obtaining a driver’s license.
- Provide a home and safety net, allowing children that would normally age out to transition to adulthood and experience and develop independence with greater success.
Why Hire an Attorney for a Foster Care Adoption?
In Florida, an attorney is required in order to finalize the adoption of a child from the foster care system. The attorney ensures that all legal requirements have been met for the finalization, completes and files the Petition for Adoption and all other required paperwork, and represents the adoptive parents at the finalization hearing. Typically, legal fees are paid by the state of Florida.