Birth mother FAQs

If you are pregnant and considering placing your baby for adoption, you are not alone. Shorstein & Kelly Adoptions are here to help. We guide you through the adoption process with a customized plan tailored to your needs and circumstances during pregnancy. In general, the adoption process for birth mothers in Florida is as follows: 

• Meet with an Adoption Professional
• Prepare an individualized adoption plan
• Establish an adoption budget
• Meet a licensed adoption counselor
• Select an adoptive family
• Prepare for birth and finalize an adoption plan
• After the child is born, sign adoption consents
• Receive pictures and updates (open adoptions include visits and other contact)

Your living expenses, transportation, counseling, and medical costs are provided to you at no charge. The adoptive parents pay all fees and costs of the adoption.

In addition, as an adoption entity, we can help by paying the following bills, costs, and expenses: Rent, Utilities, Telephone service, Food, Toiletries, Clothing, Transportation, Insurance

You may also receive payment for other expenses if the court decides they are necessary for your (or your unborn child’s) health and well-being.

Yes, you will be introduced to a licensed adoption counselor who offers confidential support and services. It will be your choice whether to develop an ongoing relationship and utilize her resources. The services are provided free during pregnancy and after delivery for up to two years.

You can contact us for a free consultation any time in your pregnancy.

Most Florida adoption agencies will not provide financial assistance and services unless the mother is past her second trimester. But at Shorstein & Kelly Adoptions, we do not have a hard and fast rule. We review each case with compassion and consideration for the best interests of a proposed adoption plan.

You can contact us for a free consultation any time in your pregnancy. Most Florida adoption agencies will not provide financial assistance and services unless the mother is past her second trimester. At Shorstein & Kelly, we do not have a hard and fast rule. We review each case with compassion and consideration for the best interests of a proposed adoption plan.

Yes, if you are a birth parent between 15 and 18, you may give your baby up for adoption without needing approval from your parents. 

However, if you are aged 14 or below, a parent, legal guardian, or court-appointed guardian must witness your consent or affidavit of non-paternity.

No. In Florida, the rights of the father may differ widely based on the specific
facts of each case. Contact us for a free consultation as to the facts of your
father situation. All discussions are privileged and confidential.

In an open adoption, the birth parents and the adoptive family exchange identifying information and have direct, continuing contact after the baby is born. Post-birth contact may include phone calls, face time, texts, pictures, visits, and vacation sharing. 

A semi-open adoption is a version of the open adoption that allows for more privacy between the parties.  It includes sharing partial identifying information and limiting post-birth contact to pictures, letters, or emails.  This type of adoption usually does not include future visits with the child.  However, over time, many of these types of adoption plans become fully open adoptions as time passes.

When birth parents and adoptive parents have little or no contact, communication, or information about each other, it is generally referred to as a closed adoption. In these cases, each party, upon request, is provided only non-identifying information about the other party.  That way, the adoption is closed for both sides.

Today, closed adoptions are not as common. There are limited circumstances where a closed adoption may benefit the parties. Contact one of our attorneys for a free consultation about your situation.

Yes, as a birth mom, you can change your mind until you sign the final consent for adoption after the child’s birth. 

However, once the consent for adoption is signed after the child’s birth, it is final, binding, and irrevocable from the moment it is signed. Meaning biological parents no longer have any legal rights over the child.

Yes, but there are certain legal protections in place.  

An adoption consent may not be signed by the birth mother until: (a) 48 hours after the child’s birth, or (b) the day of the birth mother’s release from the hospital or birth center, whichever is earlier.

A father’s consent may be signed any time after the birth of the child.