FLORIDA ADOPTION AGENCY — STORK SITUATION — HEART TO HEART ADOPTIONS
What Is a Stork Situation in Adoption? A Real Florida Placement Story
A stork situation is when an adoption plan comes together in 48 hours or less. This is what one happened in Florida. Read this guest writer and new father as he describes their adoption experience. The birth mother called late, but was loved as she decided on adoption for her baby.
Guest writer Paul C
What is a stork situation in adoption?
We came across Heart to Heart Adoptions in Gainesville thanks to the adoption consultant we were working within Florida (The Adoption Consultancy is the group’s name).
Ultimately, we chose Heart to Heart as one of our agencies because they offered more financial protections than other agencies. This protection was important to us because my wife and I are public school teachers and wanted to have some protection in the process
How fast it happened — from email to placement in 48 hours
I had emailed Darla at the agency on June 10th, and she let me know there was a situation we might be interested in, which we decided to put in for.
On June 11th (while I was on the treadmill, lol.), I got a call saying the birth Mother wanted to meet, and by 1:30, the birth Mother made the choice that would change our lives.
We quickly loaded the car.
What the agency did to make everyone comfortable under pressure
Once we finally got there, the experience could not have gone more smoothly, in my opinion. The agency set us up with a great rate on an extended stay.
More importantly, it was how they treated both the birth mother. They loved her and we quickly loved her.
They did an excellent job making us all feel very comfortable, which meant a great deal to me because of the pressure of the situation.
After a whirlwind of 48 hours, the agency took care of all of the paperwork, which they explained very well, and we were able to take our son on June 13th (which happened to be our anniversary.)
Again, I might be underselling how smooth the process went with the agency, considering it was one of those cases that came out of the blue
I was definitely impressed at how caring the folks at the agency were towards myself and my wife and, more importantly, the birth mother who gave us the amazing gift of our son.
Questions About this Florida Stork Adoption
What is a stork situation in adoption?
A stork situation is when a birth mother makes an adoption plan very close to or after the baby is already born. Usually this is between 48 to 72 hours of the birth of a child that is going to be placed for adoption. Heart to Heart Adoption handles stork situations regularly and can match a birth mother with a family and complete the legal process quickly.
Is it too late to make an adoption plan after my baby is born?
No. Heart to Heart has helped birth mothers make adoption plans the same day their baby was born. Call 877-437-3424 right now if your baby is already here and you need help
How does Heart to Heart find a family in a stork situation?
Heart to Heart Adoptions maintains a pool of approved, waiting families who have agreed to be available for urgent placements. When a stork situation arises, a case manager reaches out to compatible families immediately and works to make a match as quickly as possible.
What happens to a birth mother in a stork situation?
The birth mother receives the same full support as any other placement. She will receive legal counsel, post-placement counseling, and open adoption contact if she chose it. The timeline is compressed, but the care is not. When the office staff is told that there is a stork situation, women scurry to get everything done. Our legal department goes into high gear to make sure all the right forms are available. The matching department starts immediately to find families that meet the right situation. Often times a lot of our staff come into the office on a weekend or at night to make sure this can happen to meet the birth mother’s needs. Toe meet the baby’s needs.
What happens to the baby during a stork placement?
The baby goes with the adoptive family directly from the hospital. There are a lot of legal requirements including ICPC (Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children) Heart to Heart coordinates with the hospital to make the transition smooth. Legal finalization happens in the following months.
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Reviewed by licensed adoption professionals at Heart to Heart Adoptions.
Wendy Knowles, Birth Parent Support Specialist
Michelle Barrus, Birth Parent Support Specialist
Jodi Grizzle, LCSW
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