For years, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) has been using an antiquated form in certain adoption cases that goes against Florida statute and puts prospective adoptive parents in a difficult position. In cases involving dependency (child neglect or abuse), DCF was having prospective parents sign a form that consented to:
- Not filing an adoption petition without the consent of DCF
- Allowing the DCF to remove the child from the home in order to keep siblings together
DCF was requiring parents to give up certain rights before any adoption case had been initiated. This requirement was highly outdated and did not reflect current adoption law and procedure in Florida. Adoption lawyers in Florida brought this to the attention of DCF earlier in 2020, and the good news is that DCF has updated the form to remove language requiring prospective parents to give up such rights.
Now, the form simply states:
We, the undersigned, after careful consideration, agree to receive into our family on ________ a child to be named ______________________________ and agree to assume the full responsibility for the care, including ordinary medical care, the support and education of this child.
We understand that this placement is made with the expectation of legal adoption after a period of agency supervision.
While the form has changed, there is a good possibility that many DCF employees will continue to use the old form accidentally. This is only one of many reasons why it is critical to have the help of an experienced Boca Raton adoption attorney who can look for errors such as this and protect your rights.
Contact an Experienced Adoption Lawyer in Boca Raton Today
The law firm of Juliana Gaita, P.A., is dedicated to helping clients have smooth adoptions in the Boca area. Call 561.869.3703 or contact us online for a consultation about how we might help you.