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How to Foster and Adopt: Florida

We are pleased that you are interested in fostering and/or adoption. Please feel to call at your leisure. We are available from 8:00 am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday. Please call us at 1-800-96-ADOPT.


Contact Information

Florida’s Adoption Information Center

Bob Rooks

1-800-96-ADOPT or (904) 353-0679 (this toll-free number only works if you’re calling in Florida)

brooks@danielkids.org


Para información en español, contacte:

Florida’s Adoption Information Center

Sandra Santiago

(904) 353-0679 o 1-800-96-ADOPT (este número gratuito solamente trabaja si usted llama del estado de Florida)

ssantiago@danielkids.org


Licensing Requirements for Foster or Adoption

Requirements for Foster and Adoptive Parents include a Model Approach to Partnership in Parenting course (24 to 30 hours), also called M.A.P.P. classes.


After the classes, prospective foster parents complete a licensing study to become licensed to be foster parents. Prospective adoptive parents complete a homestudy to be licensed to adopt. Both are very similar. The typical time frame is six to eight months for the entire process.


For more information about adopting or fostering, please call 1-800-96-ADOPT. Have more questions about adoption? Read our adoption FAQs or view the Road to Adoption.


Does it Cost to Foster or Adopt?

If a family is working with a “Community Based Care” agency, there is no cost to foster or adopt. Please call us to ask about finding a “Community Based Care” agency.


Parent Support Groups

Please call 1-800-96-ADOPT to find local Parent Support Groups.


Read about real families and their foster care/adoption experiences.


Agency Contact and Orientation Information

Find your local Community-Based Care agency through the Department of Children and Families using this list of agencies by region or this list of agencies by county.


There are as many as six to eight agencies in a community. Please call 1-800-96-ADOPT for the agency nearest you.


Information on Children

There are about 17,000 children in foster care in Florida; about 800 of children waiting for permanent placement are without identified families.