Serenity & Alayah
Adopted
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Josiah
14 years old
Adopted
Where hope finds a home.
Meet Josiah, an active and bright, energetic athlete. Confident and friendly, Josiah is looking for a forever family to form a connection with; he's outgoing and personable, and his friends call him funny and nice. Josiah is extremely active and loves all sports but his favorite to play is football. Josiah has big dreams of playing in the NFL someday. His proudest moment this year was catching a pass in the endzone one-handed, "over the top of three defenders". In addition to his sporty success, Josiah is an artist and loves to draw. Josiah loves school and his favorite subjects are Math, Science and Language Arts. Josiah is resilient. His caretakers notice that "Josiah has been through a lot in his lifetime and still starts every day with a smile." Josiah has grown from his life circumstances and uses any misfortune to motivate himself to move forward. Josiah is also protective and kind towards others. "He has a big heart and desires to be part of a loving and caring family." Josiah would like his future family to know: "I am an athlete, I care about my family, and I am kind and respectful." Josiah had a lot to say about the type of family he hopes to find. He would love a family who is active and shares in his love of sports. He is open to having an older sister but prefers to not have a brother. His faith is important to him so a family who attends church is an added bonus. Josiah loves animals and cannot wait to have his very own bedroom to decorate.
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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