- Has Child Protective Services taken your child away?
- Do you have a Case Plan?
If you are involved with the Child Welfare System and have a case plan but are feeling frustrated by the lack of involvement or decision making you are allowed on behalf of your child, we want you to know that you do have the ability to be actively involved in shaping your child’s future. As long as your parental rights have not been terminated by a court of law, you have the legal right to work with a private adoption agency to help select a home for your child. This is called an Intervention and the legal definition is found in section 63.082 of the Florida Statutes.
What that means for you is that you have some control. That can be important when you are in a situation that already feels very out of control. Choosing an intervention has many benefits for both you and your child. Here are a few of them:
- An intervention allows you to have choices and to regain a sense of control. You are able to participate in the plan for your child by choosing the adoptive family before you lose your rights.
- It allows you to remove your child from the foster care system and ensure he or she is placed into a forever family of your choosing. This means you can select the parents from many waiting families. You can see them, talk to them, get to know them before making a final decision.
- Choosing an intervention allows you to have ongoing contact with the family and your child. You can receive photos and letters with updates after the adoption is finalized.
- It also provides specific counseling and support throughout the process with licensed counselors or peer counselors, who are women who have previously made an adoption plan.
Simply put, if you can choose an intervention, it is not goodbye forever. You can provide the life and future for your child through adoption that you are unable to provide yourself right now. If you are facing incarceration or other legal proceedings, adoption can still be an option for you too.
There are many options available to you to make sure that your child has a safe and loving home. We are not here to judge you. Lifetime is dedicated to helping you learn about all of the options available. You have choices now with Lifetime! We want to help you to make the choice that you believe is best for you and your child.
Our kind and experienced staff can help guide you through the process and give you (and your child) the support needed during transition. If you would like to explore this option or would like to learn more about how Lifetime can help you with an intervention, please call or text us anytime, 24/7 at 1-800-923-6784.
A birth mother puts the needs of her child before the wants of her heart
– Skye Hardwick