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Adopt a child

A happy LGBT family is spending time together. The young adult partners are with their baby boy outside in a city. They are standing near a brick building. The non-binary parent is holding the child. Both parents are smiling.

FamiliesFirst Network is the trusted partner for adoptions in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties.

Many children in foster care are reunified or permanently placed with relatives or family friends. However, some children need permanent adoptive families. FamiliesFirst Network is here to help them along their journey.

For questions or to begin your adoption journey, call our adoptions team at 850-495-3667 or 850-495-3931.

family smiling after adoption

Requirements for adoption:

  • Both married and single adults may apply to adopt.
  • Prior parenting experience is not required.
  • Adoptive families must have sufficient income to meet their own expenses and the adopted child’s.
  • An adoptive family must have sufficient room in their home for an adopted child, but there are no restrictions about housing type.
  • Adoptive parents must have sufficient physical and emotional ability to meet the needs of an adopted child.
  • There are no restrictions on the age or medical conditions of an adoptive applicant.
  • Individuals convicted of certain violent crimes cannot adopt.

Benefits of adopting through FamiliesFirst Network:

  • There is no cost to adopt through the Department of Children and Families and FamiliesFirst Network.
  • Adoptive families receive training, support and post-adoption services.
  • Adoptive parents are eligible to receive a monthly maintenance subsidy.
  • Adoptive children are eligible to receive medical coverage through Medicaid.
  • Adoptive children are eligible to receive college tuition and fee waiver.

Steps in the adoption process

  1. Complete a free, 27-hour training program called The National Training and Development Curriculum for Foster and Adoptive Parents.
  2. Complete a background screening.
  3. Participate in a thorough adoptive home study.

Learn more in our answers to Frequently Asked Questions!

Family-Match

Family-Match is a data-driven platform that helps connect children awaiting adoption with forever homes. Approved families can upload a profile and complete an assessment on the website. Case managers also complete assessments on available children. Case managers can then proactively reach out to families to review children on their caseloads. This data-driven innovation is helping to reduce the potential wait time for children and families, and for the first time, we have a tool that provides other agencies across the state access to home studies of potential parents with the click of a button.

Families interested in adoption who have an approved home study to adopt can register on Family-Match. Even children who have experienced challenges in finding a good match — older, school-aged, sibling groups or those with mental, physical or emotional needs — can be connected to loving adoptive parents sooner. With help from Family-Match and loving adoptive families, these children’s life stories can change from traumatic to positive.

adopted mom with cute little girl