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Program Statement

Adoption by Shepherd Care (ASC) was founded in 1980 based on Christian principles and the desire to serve women involved in crisis pregnancies as well as hurting families. Out of that desire, an adoption agency was formed that now meets the needs of both birth parents struggling with an unplanned pregnancy and families desiring to complete their family through adoption.

ASC is one of the leading agencies in the state of Florida and has offices in Hollywood, Orlando and West Palm Beach. Agency staff members are skilled and experienced professionals who have both the heart to serve families and birth parents and the professional knowledge to help you through the adoption process. ASC recognizes that, as a couple seeking to adopt, your primary goal is to adopt a child. We at ASC will do everything that we can to help you achieve this goal. In addition to presenting you to birth parents that come to our agency, as with an agency adoption, we will also equip you to pursue your own adoption through other avenues which we call networking. These are issues that are thoroughly discussed with you during your consultation and home study process. For families trying to adopt through their own contacts, we are also able to complete home studies and post placement supervision.

TYPES OF CHILDREN PLACED:

1. Infants and babies less than one year, including Caucasian, Black, Hispanic, mixed race, and other minorities.
   

2. Children with medical, developmental and special needs.
   

3. Older children.
   

TYPES OF PLACEMENTS:

1. Agency-matched infants.
   

2. Designated adoptions, providing all services.
   

3. Transracial adoptions.
   

4. Interstate adoptions.
   

5. Special needs home studies and placements.

6. Special needs adoptions.
   

ELIGIBILITY:

1. Married couples whose average age does not exceed 50 years.

2. Single applicants are eligible to apply for specific international and domestic programs. To adopt domestically, single applicants must be 50 years of age or younger. To adopt internationally, applicants should check the age, marital, medical and all other requirements for the specific country.

SERVICES PROVIDED:

1. Information: group meetings and private interviews.

2. Pre-home study consultation on adoption options, issues and proposed private placements

3. Home study: with the emphasis on preparation for successful adoptive parenthood

4. Adoptive parenting classes

5. Legal facilitation: coordination of all legal arrangements

6. Interstate facilitation: coordination of interstate procedures and arrangements

7. Supervision: completion of court-mandated visitations and reports

8. Adoption counseling both pre- and post-placement

9. Birth parent interviews (as required by law)

10. Birth parent support services including adoption counseling, assistance with transportation, Medicaid applications, living arrangements, facilitation of post placement exchanges
    

ADOPTION PLACEMENT DEFINITIONS

MATCHED ADOPTION

When ASC has had the first contact with a birth mother who then chooses a family from profiles provided to them by the agency, or the birth mother has entrusted the agency to select the family.

DESIGNATED ADOPTION

When a prospective family or birth mother has "designated" the other party and contact between them happens before the agency has had contact with the birth parent.

ADOPTION CONSULTATION:

This is an opportunity for prospective adoptive parents to obtain candid and comprehensive information about adoption options available to them through ASC - within Florida, out of state, or internationally. This is not required for a designated adoption.

HOME STUDY AND HOME STUDY UPDATES:

Any family wishing to adopt needs a current home study. Our staff can fulfill this state requirement in a thorough, but non-intrusive, manner completing the screening process and providing education about adoption issues. This service is provided for those beginning the adoption process with our agency and those needing a home study or update to complete a placement elsewhere. Home study update is required when the original home study or the most recent home study update has expired. A home study is valid for one year. Our home study fee is one of the lowest in the state!

INCLUSION IN THE ASC PROFILE BOOK

This fee only applies to families whose current home study was completed by an outside agency or social worker. Families who use ASC to complete their home study are not required to pay this fee. Families applying to ASC from out of state will also need to submit a formal application along with a copy of a current home study. Families pursuing a designated adoption only are not required to pay this fee.

CLIENT CONTACT AND CASE MANAGEMENT:

Once the adopting family is linked to a birth mother, an initial deposit is required which will be held in escrow. You will be considered “matched” once you pay the escrow amount. The money will be spent as time and expenses are incurred on behalf of the birth mother or family. The hourly rate for services (including appointment time, hospital time, court time, telephone time, conference time, document preparation time, research and writing time) will be charged against the deposit.

The escrow funds will also be used for actual birth parent living, medical, and legal expenses. The adoptive family is responsible for these birth parent expenses throughout the entire pregnancy and up to six weeks after birth. All attorney fees, including those incurred in the unlikely event of an appeal or any other legal action whenever filed, are the responsibility of the adopting family. The amount of this deposit will be equivalent to the estimated birth parent expenses.

Additional deposits will be required when the expenses of serving the birth parent(s) exceed the initial deposits. Expended escrow funds and all other fees for actual service, living, medical, and legal expenses are non-refundable if a birth parent chooses not to continue with the adoption plan. Unused escrow balances will be refunded after all expenses have been paid (usually six months after placement).

TRAVEL TIME AND CASE AID TIME:

This fee is for the time spent by the caseworker traveling to meet with the birth mother or birth father or any other travel related to the case. This fee is also for time spent by support staff transporting the birth mother to appointments, preparing documents, or providing other case related assistance.

ADMINISTRATIVE FEE:

An administrative fee is paid at the time of placement when a "matched" adoption occurs. The fee is in addition to the fees for time and expenses incurred in the adoption.

LEGAL EXPENSES:     Amount dependent on circumstances of case

Petition for Declaratory Statement
Petition for Termination of Parental Rights (required)
Petition for Adoption (Finalization) (required)
Filing fee (required)
Publishing for birth father
Diligent Search for birth father

INTERSTATE COMPACT:

This fee only applies to families who are adopting from outside the state of Florida. It covers the agency's expenses in obtaining approval from ICPC for the baby to leave the state of Florida and enter your resident state.

POST PLACEMENT SUPERVISION:

Requirements for post placement reports vary from state to state. All Florida adoptions require two home visitations during the first 90 days of placement

FULL AFRICAN-AMERICAN INFANT PLACEMENT FEE:

In addition to the placement fee there may be pass through expenses for the birth mother.  Pass through expenses are defined as, but not limited to, any monetary aid the birth mother requires for her living, medical or legal expenses.

PARTIAL AFRICAN-AMERICAN INFANT PLACEMENT FEE:

In addition to the placement fee there may be pass through expenses for the birth mother.  Pass through expenses are defined as, but not limited to, any monetary aid the birth mother requires for her living, medical or legal expenses.

NON-FLORIDA RESIDENTS:

A current home study from a licensed agency in your state of residence is required.  Consultations will be conducted via telephone calls by our executive director with all families adopting from out of state. Consultation fees are required. Profile booking fees are waived for families adopting African-American and partial African-American children.