How to Place a Baby for Adoption in Florida

Whether you just found out you’re pregnant or already have your baby, Heart to Heart Adoptions can help you make an adoption plan that feels right for you. Placing a baby for adoption in Florida starts with a single phone call or text to a licensed adoption agency.

How Do I Start Learning About Adoption in Florida?

Starting the adoption process is simple. Here is what to expect when you reach out.

A real counselor answers. She isn’t working off of a script. All three women that trade off answering the phones are working off of years of experience. They understand you need to talk and tell about your unique experience and your unique situation.

You choose the adoptive family from 100+ profiles, decide how much contact you want after placement, and Heart to Heart handles all legal paperwork at no cost to you.

It is not too late to make an adoption plan whether you are early in pregnancy, near your due date, or have already given birth.

Reach Out

Call or text our Florida office at 689-208-2050. We are available 24/7 to listen without pressure.

Tell Us What You Need

Talk with our caring adoption worker about your situation. We want to understand how best to support you. She will typically ask about:

Your Safety & Housing

Help with rent and living expenses
Assistance with relocation

Your Pregnancy

How far along you are
Help obtaining proof of pregnancy

Your Support System

Family and emotional support needs
Birth father involvement

Your Medical Care

Finding compassionate doctors
Ensuring quality prenatal care

Your Other Children

Childcare during appointments
Grocery cards and food assistance

"I was nervous to make that first call but my adoption worker made everything so easy to understand."

— Birth mother, Florida

Learn about financial assistance

What are the steps to placing a baby for adoption in Florida?

After we have helped with any emergencies the rest of the adoption steps include the following:

1Learn your options. You can meet with someone that will learn more about your desires. she will explain open adoption, semi-open, and closed adoption. And you can decide which works best for you. Of course, you can always change your mind as the process moves forward. You will also learn about the legal steps, and what financial support you qualify for. No pressure toward any particular choice.
2One of the most important decisions for so many women is to find the perfect family for your child. You can review as many family profiles as you want. We have more than a 100. You choose. You can take as long as you need.
3Decide on your hospital plan. How much contact you might want with the adoptive family before or just after the birth. Who do you want to support you in the hospital?
4Legal consent is signed after independent legal counsel. That means you have your own legal representative. This does not cost you anything.
5Counseling, connection, and care continue after placement. This does not end the day you leave the hospital.

"Sharyn told me straight up that I could change my mind. Knowing that helped me feel sure about my choice when I did choose adoption."

— Birth mother, Florida

Can I place my baby for adoption after birth?

Yes. We have families who have been vetted to care for older babies and who have been trained in helping you baby bond. And you can also keep up with your child's development through an open adoption. Florida law allows birth mothers to place a baby for adoption at any age.

For a child that is older than six months at the time of placement, the Florida laws are a little different than for an infant. If you sign papers for consent of placement, if your child is older than six months, you have up to three business days to change your mind. Your counselor will explain exactly what applies to your situation.

"I tried parenting my baby for two months. I really loved him, but it's hard to explain, but I just couldn't to it the way a baby needs. Heart to Heart helped me make an adoption plan. They didn't judge me — they just helped."

— Birth mother, Florida

LEGAL NOTE: Florida Statute §63.082(c): for a baby over 6 months at consent signing, consent is valid upon execution but revocable up to 3 business days after signing. For newborns, consent is irrevocable from signing except for fraud or duress.

"I called when my baby was 2 months old. Michelle explained everything to me and how it would work. Darla helped me find the perfect family and supported me through everything."

— Amariah, Bradenton, Florida

Do I get to choose the family who adopts my baby in Florida?

Yes. You are given digital family profiles that fit what you want for yourself and your child. You can ask your case manager questions about any family, arrange a phone or video call before deciding, and take as long as you need. There is no pressure to choose quickly and no limit to how many profiles you can view.

Haley is our matching coordinator and she will listen and help you find families based on what matter to you. Do you want your child to have siblings or be an only child. What type of spiritual exposure do you want for your child. You have the right to think through all of these and many more considerations.

"I knew right away when I found my baby's family. They loved the beach like me and wanted to raise my baby with both English and Spanish."

— T. M. Panama City Beach, Florida

→ Open adoption options in Florida

What financial help is available when placing a baby for adoption in Florida?

Adoption is completely free for birth mothers in Florida. Florida law allows adoption agencies to assist with living expenses during pregnancy and for a short time after birth. These reasonable expenses include help with safe housing, utilities, food, maternity clothing, transportation to medical appointments, your phone bill, and childcare for other children while you are at appointments.

→ Financial assistance for birth mothers in Florida

What if I am not sure I want to go through with adoption?

Very few women are absolutely sure of the path they want to take. We expect this when you call. That is why we have women answering the phones who can walk you through all of your options. Many women work with Heart to Heart for weeks or months while they think through their options. The housing help, counseling, and financial support are available regardless of what you ultimately decide. You can change your mind at any point until consent is signed. If you decide to parent, your counselor will help you find parenting resources too.

How quickly can I get help if I am already in labor?

Call right now: 689-208-2050. Heart to Heart has counselors available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is not too late to begin the process during or after labor. Heart to Heart Adoptions has helped women make adoption plans within hours of giving birth.

Frequently Asked Questions About Utah Adoption

Explore each topic in more detail.

Call or text 689-208-2050. A counselor answers right away. That first conversation costs nothing, commits you to nothing, and can start the process of getting you immediate help.

The timeline is entirely in your hands. Some women complete the process in weeks. Others take months. Heart to Heart has helped women who called the day they went into labor. There is no deadline at any stage of pregnancy or after birth.

No. ‘Giving up’ implies abandonment. Placing a baby for adoption is an active, loving decision — you choose the family, you decide the level of contact, and your child grows up knowing you made this choice out of love. Heart to Heart never uses the phrase ‘give up your baby.’

Yes, at any point before consent is signed. You can change your mind about the agency, the family, the level of openness, the hospital plan. You cannot sign consent documents for placement until at least 48 hours after birth.

Not necessarily. Florida law has specific procedures for situations where the father is unknown, absent, or unwilling to participate. An unmarried biological father must register with the Florida Putative Father Registry to have legally protected rights. Your counselor will explain exactly what applies to your specific situation

You decided what you want to happen at the hospital. You get to decide who is there with you. We will have your case manager available to be your support. You can have the adoptaive family present, or you can just take the time in the hospital to be with your baby uninterrupted. You get to decide.

No. Heart to Heart works with birth mothers at every stage of pregnancy, including the third trimester and after birth. Call 844-522-7700 right now if your situation is urgent. Someone should be available right now.

A stork situation is adoption agency language for a last-minute placement. This is when a birth mother decides to place her baby very close to her giving birth, or sometimes after she has given birth. We do this regularly and can match you with a family and get you financial and emotional support quickly. We also have attorneys in Florida who can talk to you about your legal rights. This, of course, is all free to you.

After giving birth, you can still expect free counseling or just someone to talk with. We’re her through the time it takes you to get back on your feet and then for help down the road.

Yes. Marital status has no bearing on a birth mother’s right to make an adoption plan in Florida. All of Heart to Heart’s services are available regardless of your relationship status.

An adoption agency like Heart to Heart handles the full process. this includes someone to talk with, finding the right family, financial support, and coordination with legal counsel. An adoption attorney handles the legal filings only. Heart to Heart provides you with your own independent attorney at no cost as part of the agency service.

Birth mother choosing an adoptive family

Still Have Questions?

We're here to help you explore your options, without pressure or judgment.

Talk With Someone Text Us Anytime

Written by:

Allie James

Senior Content Editor

Reviewed by licensed professionals at

Coleen Reynolds

Assistant AF Coordinator · Heart to Heart Adoptions

Last Reviewed
2026