The makeup of a family can be as diverse as facets on a diamond. Although traditional two-parent families obviously still exist, the number of nontraditional families is increasing, and so is the number of nontraditional adoptions. In states such as Florida, where family law allows for single-person adoption, children are finding homes and loving families, and individuals are able to fulfill their dreams of becoming parents. At the most recent National Adoption Day in November, this was the case for two children and one doctor.
The pediatrician has an office near ChildNet, an agency that takes in children in some counties who have been removed from their homes by the Florida Department of Children and Families. According to regulations, all children placed in the system are required to have physical exams within 24 hours, so ChildNet began taking the youngsters to the pediatrician’s office. Realizing he was in a position to do more than just offer checkups, the doctor completed the 30-hour training and became a foster parent.
The pediatrician met the siblings, a 10-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy, when they were placed in his custody for foster care in August 2011. The doctor says he didn’t expect them to stay long because they had family in the area, but when no suitable family stepped up to take the children in, he decided to adopt them. His roommate also helps care for the care of the children.
The pediatrician and his two children are a success story — one of many that occur in Florida and across the country. Not all adoptions become contested nightmares that end in court rulings and heartbreak. However, to mitigate the chances of a failed adoption, seeking competent legal advice can alert a person going through the adoption process of any possible complications and create a plan that will lead to a happy outcome.
Source: SunSentinel.com, “Pediatrician adopts siblings on National Adoption Day,” Jan. 7, 2013
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