Adoption is beautiful and emotional and, in some cases, arises from heart-breaking situations.
We are often contacted when a custodial birth mother passes away, the father is not involved/has no interest in the child, and a relative/family friend agrees to adopt the child but is in dire need of financial assistance due to the unexpected addition to the family.
In Florida, adoption subsidies (i.e., ongoing financial assistance until the child reaches the age of 18 plus Medicaid) may be available in addition to other financial resources. This is a complex landscape in the private adoption sector.
In order to have the child eligible for a Title IV-E subsidy, you will either need to have the child declared eligible for SSI or have the child placed into a licensed non-profit adoption agency. If you do an independent adoption without a licensed agency, then the only path to eligibility would be through having the child be deemed eligible for SSI.
You can find other articles about subsidy or adoption assistance on our blog https://floridaadoptionattorney.com/blog/
We are happy to speak with you about your unique circumstances.