A Florida state law that banned gay men and lesbians from adoption has been struck down by the Florida 3rd District Court of Appeals in a unanimous decision that upheld a trial court ruling that the ban was unconstitutional because it violates equal protection under the law. Florida Governor Charlie…
Robert Lamarche has become the fourth gay Floridian to adopt a child as the 1977 Florida law prohibiting adoption by gay men and lesbians remains under review by a Miami appeals court, according to a story in the Palm Beach Post. Lamarche, who works at a private adoption agency in…
Pursuant to Florida Statute sec. 63.053: Rights and Responsibilities of an Unmarried Biological Father, “If an unmarried biological father fails to take the actions that are available to him to establish a relationship with his child, his parental interest may be entirely lost, or greatly diminished.” Thus, as an unmarried…
Adoption is a legal procedure where a child becomes, through court action, part of a family that is other than that of his or her biological parents. Adoption is a very serious procedures – all ties are severed with the birth parents and any relatives of the birth parents. The…
For a Florida stepparent adoption to take place, one of the biological parents must relinquish their parental rights to the adopting stepparent. The adopting stepparent is then assigned all the legal rights and responsibilities of a biological parent. If the child is over the age of 12, he or she…
It wasn’t too long ago that Americans regularly sought foreign adoptions because they were easier and less costly than adopting an American child. But three of the most popular countries for foreign adoption are changing the rules, and making it harder for Americans to adopt oversees. China, Russia and Guatamala…
When an infant relative of Vanessa Alenier was seized by child welfare workers, Ms. Alenier took the child into her home. However, when she asked Florida for permission to adopt the boy, a question on the adoption forms gave her pause. It asked if she was gay. Not wanting to…
In a move designed to help Haitian children orphaned in the devastating 2010 earthquake enter the US more easily for medical care and/or adoption, the US Government eased the requirements for their temporary entry to the US. Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano, made the announcement, adding that the…
Linda and David Pfeiffer of New London, Connecticut already had an adopted son, Darius, and they were not looking to have another child. But when a family friend from Jacksonville, Florida became pregnant and did not believe she was able to care for the child herself, she asked if the…
Amy and Scott Kehoe were unable to have children of their own. So they went to great lengths to hand pick an egg donor, sperm donor, and surrogate for their future child. They then hired a Michigan IVF clinic to carry out the procedure. The couple paid for everything out…