Serenity & Alayah
Adopted
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Bentley
12 years old
Adopted
Where Hope Finds a Home.
Bentley's ready to thrive! An active and talented young athlete, Bentley easily picks up new sports and excels in many. As he explains, "I like to play sports like soccer, baseball, basketball, every sport", and he dreams of being a professional basketball player when he grows up -- or a police officer. Bentley is also an accomplished artist who will sketch his favorite anime character with ease. He also likes reading graphic novels, and cites the Wings of Fire series or Dog Man as favorites. This multi-talented, endearing third-grader admits he learned this year that "being smart is a good thing," and is enjoying every subject in school, especially Math and Science, where he wants to "learn more about how the solar system works." Bentley's perfect day would be spending time with his forever family, going to a theme park, riding roller coasters and "spending quality time together." Bentley needs safe and consistent caregivers who are comfortable with teaching and modeling healthy adult/child and peer relationships so that he can continue to grow his social skills. He's friendly and engages easily with others. He's got a good sense of humor, and knows how to hold a conversation and express himself but also will engage others in their interests. Photo by: Joe Spooner
FAQs
If a child in foster care is in the Heart Gallery, reunification with their biological family was not possible so an adoptive family is needed. Most Heart Gallery children are at least 9 years old, part of a sibling group, and/or have special needs. All children in foster care have experienced abuse, abandonment, and/or neglect; therefore, need support to heal from the trauma they have experienced.
All children are different, with a variety of unique strengths and needs so all types of families are needed. In Florida, you must be at least 21 to adopt a child from foster care. There are no restrictions based on age, race, marital status, or sexual orientation. You may live in a home or apartment that you own or rent. Adoptive parents must have a stable income sufficient to support their family.
In Florida, there is no cost to adopt a child from foster care. In fact, families who adopt may qualify for a monthly adoption subsidy. Health care for children adopted from foster care is covered by Medicaid until age 18. They also receive free tuition at any Florida state college, university, or vocational school.
Federal tax credits and exemptions may also be available. Visit the IRS website to learn more.
Prospective adoptive parents must complete Adoption Orientation, a 36-hour Professional Parenting course, have an approved home study, and approved background screenings. Most importantly, you must be willing to make a lifelong commitment to a child in need.
Yes. One of the benefits of adopting from Florida is having access to a comprehensive case history. You will be given information on the child’s background, medical history, and personality. This information helps you determine if your family is the right fit for the child.
This can vary greatly depending on the situation. However, as a general rule, it usually takes about 12 months from the time a family begins training to the time when a child is placed with the family.
Yes! Your approved home study should be accepted by any child welfare agency. Each circumstance will be assessed to determine if it is appropriate for a child to move out of state. Keep in mind these adoptions can be more complex and take longer, depending on the case.
Adoptions appear to be more stable when parents have flexible and realistic expectations for their children and when they use post-adoption supports to help with challenges.
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