Florida’s Governor has approved a package of reforms to the state’s adoption process.
On Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed off on HB 1083, which updates Florida law and processes to bring them into federal compliance and offer more safeguards and input for potential adoptees.
One major change: the legislation will align the Department of Children and Families’ background checks with federal requirements. After a satisfactory check of criminal records, all household members have seven days to submit fingerprints to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Visitors to homes are under scrutiny as well, with DCF checking the names of certain non-residents for criminal history, including those who will be in the home for five straight days or seven days within a 30-day period.
The bill also sets up a process to deal with orphans, allowing what a bill analysis calls an “interested party” to “file a petition for permanent commitment.”
Additionally, the legislation creates a mechanism for emergency removals of children from permanent placement if there is probable cause to believe the child has been abused, neglected, or abandoned by the person that adopted them.
The legislation cuts in half the time needed for interim placements, down from six months to three months if the so-called “successor guardian” knows the child.
The bill also provides more financial incentives to adopt for certain people. A state employee, veteran, law enforcement officer, health care practitioner, tax collector, or service member can get $25,000 for adopting difficult to place children, or $10,000 for children judged to be less difficult to place.
As well, the legislation ends public access to the statewide adoption exchange platform, limiting visibility to those people who have completed adoptive home studies or are about to finish those. It also allows children aged 12 or older to pick the pictures they use on the web portal.
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