How To Adopt

Growing Your Family

Adoption can be a beautiful way to start or expand your family, but you need a team who understands this process to lead you through it. Our dedicated staff have years of experience helping families like yours who are seeking to adopt a child. We guide you through every step – from the initial information meeting to the home study assessment, through the matching process, bringing your child home, and beyond. We specialize in competent and compassionate adoption services for all parties involved in the process.

Adoption is for life, and so is our dedication to your family. Are you ready to get started?

First Step

Contact an Adoption Agency

The first step in adopting a newborn baby is to contact Adoption by Shepherd Care. We will help you through the process and answer any questions you may have.

Second Step

Home Study

Next we’ll help you fill out the necessary paperwork and complete a home study. A home study is required in order to adopt and is used to determine if you’re eligible to adopt and if you’re prepared to provide a safe and loving home for a child.

Third Step

Waiting for a Match

After your home study is complete and approved, it’s time to wait for a match. This can be one of the hardest parts of the adoption process. It’s important to be patient and remember that there are many children in need of homes. Once you’re matched with a child, there will be more paperwork to complete and then you’ll finally get to meet your new baby!

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The Process of Adopting a Child in the United States

Adoption Services

In addition to traditional domestic infant adoptions, in which a family is matched with an expectant mother, Adoption by Shepherd Care also works with many families in situations that fall outside of our traditional domestic program. Some families only need a home study or post-placement services and others may already be in contact with an expectant mother when they come to us. ASC is a child-placing agency licensed by the state of Florida and is equipped to help with most domestic adoption scenarios.

The Adoption Process

Determine Eligibility

The first step in the domestic adoption process is to schedule an individual confidential consultation, during which an ASC staff member will meet with you either in-person or by video call to walk you through the adoption process, discuss Florida laws, and introduce our agency. This is a time for you to get to know our agency and us to get to know you.

Adoption by Shepherd Care (ASC) works with married couples throughout the United States and welcomes families of any racial, religious, or ethnic background. Couples must be married for at least one year, and their average age must be 50 years or less with neither spouse younger than 25 or older than 52.

Starting the Process

Every adoption begins with a home study. This is the process of your family being prepared, trained, and assessed for adoption. The home study typically takes 2-4 months and results in a document that will be used by the courts to confirm that your family is recommended for adoption. An approved home study is required to be eligible to adopt a child. The home study process involves a series of interviews, background checks, references, and paperwork gathering. Our experienced adoption specialists will walk you through each step and provide the guidance, training, and assessment you need to prepare to bring your little one home.

Click here for Home Study & Post Placement Page

Matching

Once you have an approved home study, you are eligible to be matched to an expectant mother who is looking for a family for her child. ASC works with expectant mothers and pre-adoptive families to find the right fit. After you are matched, ASC staff will continue to walk alongside all parties to prepare for birth and placement.

Legal Process

In Florida, a birth mother may sign the legal documents to place her child for adoption 48 hours after the birth of the child or when she is discharged from the hospital—whichever is first. There is no revocation period after signing these documents in the state of Florida. In many cases, the child can be placed in the adoptive family’s care upon discharge from the hospital or soon thereafter. Florida has a minimum 90-day supervisory period after placement of a child before the family is eligible to petition to finalize the adoption. After all requirements have been met, ASC’s attorney will collaborate with the family to complete the necessary documents to finalize the adoption.

Post Placement / Post Adoption Services

After your child comes home, one of our Adoption Specialists will meet with your family during the 90-day supervisory period, to see how everyone is doing and produce the post-placement reports required for the court. Once your third report is completed, our staff will submit all required paperwork to ASC’s attorney to prepare for the finalization of your adoption.

Service With Compassion

Our amazing team strives to encourage families along with this unique journey. ASC’s collection of personal stories, written by adoptive parents, adoptees, birth parents, and others touched by adoption demonstrates the value of a supportive community. We hope the stories will encourage and inspire you on your adoption journey.

We feel so fortunate to have found and worked with Adoption by Shepherd Care for our adoption journey.

Choosing an agency was a difficult task for us. It was important to us that we worked with people who made us feel confident but kept our expectations realistic. We were looking for an organization that was warm, personable, and professional and had a lot of experience in the field. In talking with other agencies, it was Adoption by Shepherd Care that met all of these essential components we were looking for.

The exceptional service and professionalism that we received from everyone at Adoption by Shepherd Care were above and beyond what we expected. Every team member that we had contact with made us feel welcome and comfortable. The first time we attended their office, everyone knew us by name when we entered, and it truly made us feel like part of a family.

When we were matched with our daughter, we were paired up with an extraordinary caseworker. She was compassionate, friendly, warm, and her communication was remarkable. We always felt informed, and like she truly cared about us throughout the journey. The special way in which she could anticipate our emotions throughout the whole process and handled every aspect with a calm and gentle approach made us feel reassured, and calmed us through the complexities and uncertainties of the adoption process.

What really impressed us about Adoption by Shepherd Care was the amazing support that they provide to the birthmothers/fathers. Through our adoption experience, we were fortunate to get to know the birth family of our daughter, and seeing the genuine respect, compassion, and support that they received was profound and deeply felt.

It is comforting to know that there is an agency like Adoption by Shepherd Care, who is so devoted to their work. We enjoyed the entire invaluable team of helpers with their warmth and humor, their sincerity, and their dedication to both the birth mothers/families and adoptive families. We have complete heartfelt gratitude to everyone at Adoption by Shepherd Care for holding us so warmly, caring, and open-hearted through our adoption journey.

We highly recommend Adoption by Shepherd Care as an adoption agency and hope that many others can experience the wonderful joy that we were blessed with.

Jordan & Amanda

ASC was an absolutely incredible agency to work with. We got to know the staff personally even though we were corresponding internationally. They knew us by name and were always available for our questions and help. The support that they provide on BOTH sides for the adoptive and birth families is something I have never heard of outside of ASC. Both sides felt cared for, supported, fully informed, and not rushed or pressured at any point. Relationships between the birth families and adoptive parents are encouraged, facilitated, and fostered. Thanks to them, we enjoy a strong and amazing relationship with our child’s family. There are so many ways for adoption to be scary and confusing, but that wasn’t our experience. 10/10 recommend forever.

Jessica V.

We connected with ABSC through Christian Adoption Consultants. From the first phone call we felt this was the agency for us. The care they show for mothers during the pregnancy and after birth was something we were drawn to.

Throughout the process Nidia was amazing. Talking us through expectations, next steps, how to pray for all involved and holding our hand through the process. The management of funds, the care for mothers and potential adoptive families was second to none. We are thankful for Nidia and the attention to detail and care she showed throughout this process. Our son is 14 weeks old, and Nidia continues to support us post placement. Thank you, Adoptions by Shepard Care, for helping us grow our family.

Mary W.

We are very fortunate to have been connected to Adoption by Shepherd Care. Terri was fantastic to work with and truly helped ease our concerns and walk us through everything, especially with the unknown of adopting during the beginning of the pandemic.

They also connected us with other families who had similar birth stories for their adoptive child. Lastly they provided great resources to help us navigate a world that was unknown to us, especially related to open adoption which I’m so thankful we did.

Mike M.

We had an amazing experience with Adoption by shepherd care. We began our adoption journey in 2021 and we are holding our baby in our arms now.

ASC held our hands every step of the way. They became like family to us and we highly recommend them. We cannot thank them enough for everything they did for us.

If we decide to keep growing our family we will definitely do it with them again.

Natalia Z.

Thank you to everyone we worked with at Adoption by Shepherd Care… Thank you to everyone we worked with at Adoption by Shepherd Care. The staff are incredibly supportive, sensitive, professional, and made this journey possible for us. Adoption by Shepherd Care truly knows what they are doing. And they truly care about all families involved. They made this process so much easier for us and made sure we were well taken care of. If adoption is part of your journey, you are in safe hands with Adoption by Shepherd Care.

Rob & Lee

The best decision ever made was to contact ASC.… The best decision ever made was to contact ASC. I remember the moment I walked inside their office and immediately felt like I had entered into someone’s living room. The decor, furniture, and family pictures felt so “homely”. Each and every person encountered (Rose, Marcy, Nidia, Claudia, and Heidi) made us feel like a part of their immediate family. They patiently explained the process, guided us through the paperwork, accommodated our schedules, followed up with the different agencies, and diligently ensured that everything was completed in an expedited manner. They shared in the accomplishment of every milestone. They held our hands, lifted us up, reassured us when we felt discouraged, but also laughed cried and pushed us as we walked the uphill road. Upon reaching the peak…they celebrated with us as if our baby boy were their own. Thank you for allowing us to finally experience parenthood. Thank you for the work that you do, the services you provide, and the care in which you do it.

Delano & Melissa

Service With Compassion

Our amazing team strives to encourage families along with this unique journey. ASC’s collection of personal stories, written by adoptive parents, adoptees, birth parents, and others touched by adoption demonstrates the value of a supportive community. We hope the stories will encourage and inspire you on your adoption journey.

After dealing with infertility for several years, Erin and I decided that adoption would be the best way to grow our family. One of our friends that had been through the adoption process recommended “Adoption by Shepherd Care”. From the first Skype meeting we had with Terri, we were impressed with the number of years she and the whole organization had been helping people with adoption. Terri was a wealth of insight and encouragement to us as we applied and began to wait for “the call”. Once the day came and we got our call, the whole staff was so supportive through the whirlwind that followed! There was no such thing as “office hours” as their team began to help with everything from the moment our son was born, to leaving the hospital with signed papers, to the time we left the state, to working with the birth parents a year after our adoption. We have truly been known and loved by those at “Adoption by Shepherd Care” that went through this whole process with us!

Delano & Melissa

Frequently Asked Questions

We average 30 to 40 infant placements a year.
On average, we have 30 to 40 active waiting families at any given time, with a range of family openness represented. If needed, we would cap at 60 families and open a waiting list.
Home studies take an average of 2 to 4 months, depending in part on how quickly a family completes their paperwork.

The wait time will vary depending on a family’s openness and may be anywhere from a few weeks to 2 years. On average, our families wait 9 to 18 months for a match.

In the State of Florida, a birth mother can sign consents 48 hours after birth, or after her hospital discharge-order has been signed. After consents are signed, there is no revocation period in Florida.

The cost of adoption varies depending on the type of adoption. For domestic adoptions, fee information is included in our information packet and discussed in more detail during the consultation meeting. Please call or fill out the contact form to request a packet today. For international adoptions, please call our office to discuss the fees associated with your specific case.

Families finance adoptions in many ways, including grants, loans, and fundraising.

For ASC’s domestic infant program, the average age of the adoptive parents must be 50 years or less with neither spouse younger than 25 or older than 52. For international adoptions, the age guidelines are determined by each individual country’s requirements.

For our domestic infant program, we accept a limited number of single applicants, on a case by case basis. For international adoptions, this is determined by individual country requirements.

For domestic adoptions, families residing in the U.S. should be U.S. citizens or may be permanent residents, on a case by case basis. For international adoptions, at least one spouse must be a U.S. citizen.

Yes, we accept applications from out-of-state families. Please call or complete the contact form to receive an information packet and to schedule your consultation. You will need to obtain an approved home study from a provider licensed in your home state. The Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC) is the process that monitors a child’s movement across state lines. We will work closely with you and your home study provider to ensure that all ICPC requirements are met for both Florida and your home state.

Families who have or are in the process of completing a home study with another provider can apply to join ASC’s waiting families. Please call or complete the contact form to receive an information packet and schedule a consultation, which is the first step.

We are experienced in providing post-placement and post-adoption services, including post visits and reports. Our counselors are trained in TBRI and take a holistic approach to post-adoption counseling, working with children and families. These services are available even if you did not complete your adoption through ASC.

The majority of ASC’s domestic adoptions are semi-open, with a range of communication occurring between adoptive families and birth parents both before and after placement. Typically, the adoptive family and birth parents do meet and get to know each other, but they do not exchange identifying information. The level of openness in your adoption will ultimately depend on what all parties are desiring and feel comfortable with, something your ASC counselor will help you navigate and plan.

We have experienced counselors in the area of search and reunion. Our team would love to speak with you. You can also register on the state Florida Adoption Reunion Registry.

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Exciting News! We're Moving To A New Location!

We are thrilled to announce that our office is moving to a new and improved location! Starting June 24, 2024 you can find us at:

5400 S University Dr, Suite 102, Davie, FL 33328

Our new space is designed to better serve you, with more room for growth and enhanced facilities. We are excited for everyone to visit us if you have a chance and experience the improvements firsthand.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to welcoming you to our new location soon!