Share with anyone in the adoption world. I am confident that the right family is out there and these young children will get the home and family they so richly deserve.
I have been asked to help find a family to adopt a sibling group of five brothers and sisters between the ages of 14 and 4 who are currently in the legal custody of the State of Florida and in three different placements. If this goes forward as currently contemplated, a permanent adoptive home for all five will be found and placement made as quickly as possible, ideally within 2 - 3 months.
In Florida, this particular type of situation is called an Intervention. This is where a adoption attorney or adoption agency, on behalf of the prospective adoptive parents, petitions the Court to intervene in the State case to "change" the placement from a State placement to a private placement. As with anything, there are a number of reasons that interventions are both favored and disfavored. Those who support interventions cite the quickness of the process and the benefits of a private adoption - the parents have a say in who adopts and there can be, under the absolute right circumstances, some openness going forward. Others say that interventions can ruin the chances of a foster parent adopting the child that they have cared for for so long.
From a pragmatic position, there is also the downside that many of the State benefits that go with a State adoption (free health care, education, counseling, etc.) do not transfer with the private adoption. Anyone interested in this situation below needs to do their research on interventions and explore the pros and cons. In a subsequent post, I may ask the followers of this facebook page to opine on the subject.
If you are interested in being considered to be placed with the five children listed below for subsequent adoption AND have a home study that provides (or can be modified in the next few days) for placement of a sibling group of up to five children (ages 14 - 4), please email miller@fordmiller.com and the process will be outlined in more detail.
Unfortunately, at this stage it is difficult to estimate how much the legal fees and costs would be. As stated below, one father's rights have already been terminated, so that is not going to be an issue. The mother and the father of the other children would have to agree to the intervention. All parties have attorneys and the children and attorney ad ltiems and guardian at litems on their behalf. Assuming no complications, I estimate the legal fees and cost associated with the intervention and the adoption SHOULD fall between 7500 and 12,000. It may be more and it may be less.
Candidly, the term "assuming no complications" can be misleading. It may give a false sense that there is a reasonable chance the fees will land in the projected range. Unfortunately, when it comes to adoptions and some interventions, complications can be more the rule than the exception. For example, at this time, we are hearing that everyone involved believes that the appropriate intervention placement is in the best interests of the child. However, we have five children, and three of them are teens or soon to be. We have relatives and others involved in their lives that may not like the direction of the case. The two parents may try to undo their consents. There are a lot of moving parts, for sure. At this juncture, there is no indication that it won't be a smooth process, but predicting the path of an adoption is not unlike predicting the path of a hurricane. Probably a bad analogy but the point is that the direction can change on a moment's notice.
I do not have any additional information on the children but am actively seeking to get full reports. No one will be expected to go forward on partial information.
To begin the process, please email miller@fordmiller.com with your questions about the process.
“Andi” – Sibling Group – Intervention – Jacksonville, Florida
Mother (“Andi”): 5’7 Caucasian. Born in 1984. A trial on the State’s Petition to Terminate Parental Rights was set for February but has now been delayed. Intervention is assumed to be a favored direction by most, if not all, of the parties.
Two Children with Father No. 1 (“Murphy”) – Caucasian – Born 1982 – no additional information at this time. His parental rights have already been terminated.
1. “Joseph” is a 14 year old Caucasian teen age boy and will be 15 in April (born April 2001). He currently lives with his 11 year old sister at their maternal aunt’s home. He and one of his younger sisters were placed with his maternal aunt and uncle in October 2014. He has stayed in that house since that time. The uncle has moved out due to domestic violence issues with the aunt. Reports indicate he enjoys living at his current home and is doing well at school. He likes to go on hunting trips and enjoys being with his siblings. At this very preliminary stage, there are no medical or mental health issues indicated in the paperwork reviewed. It is important to note that the paperwork reviewed is approximately 1% of what has been generated in the last 14 months since he was “sheltered by the State of Florida. It is believed he is approximately 5’8, with reddish brown hair with a slender build, estimated weight 145. His ideal placement would be to stay at this current placement. His current placement cannot accommodate a sibling group of this size.
2. “Bryn” is a 12 year old Caucasian teen age girl who will turn 13 in August (born 8/2003). She lives with her brother. She and her older brother were placed with her maternal aunt and uncle in October 2014. Since her placement in October 2014, she moved 5 times before returning to her current placement. The placements were made at the request of herself (once), the caregiver (three times) and by the State (once) due to abuse allegations at the prior placement to the current placement. She now lives with her brother and her maternal aunt (see above paragraph 1). It is reported that she has suffered sexual abuse and struggles with peer relationships. It is reported that she has the need for continued counseling for her history of abuse and behavior concerns. At this very preliminary stage, there are no medical or mental health issues indicated in the paperwork reviewed other than what is stated herein. It is important to note that the paperwork reviewed is approximately 1% of what has been generated in the last 14 months since she was “sheltered by the State of Florida. It is believed she is approximately 5’4, with brown hair with a slender build, estimated weight 120. Her ideal placement would be to be adopted or go back with her mother. Her current placement cannot accommodate a sibling group of this size and returning to her mother’s care is not a legal option.
Three Children with Father No. 2 – Born in 1984. (“Datz, Sr.”) Caucasian – 6’0. Slender and muscular build. Brown hair and brown eyes. A trial on the State’s Petition to Terminate Parental Rights was set for February but has now been delayed. Intervention is assumed to be a favored direction by most, if not all, of the parties.
1. “Athena” is an 11 year old Caucasian teen age girl who will turn 12 in October (born 10/2004). She is currently is a residential mental health facility. She was removed from her parent’s “care” in October 2014 and has had ten different placements. The changes in placements were made at “in accordance with the case plan” (6 times), twice at the care giver’s request and once due to a hospitalization. She has very poor dental health and was the victim of sexual abuse. It is reported that she is able to make good peer relationships. Changed schools recently – poor academics. Not reading at her grade level. May need a tutor. A recent placement with grandparents was ended due to allegations of neglect and sexual abuse by a neighbor. She has also recently changed schools due to poor academic performance. After recent foster care placement, she was hospitalized due to Type-1 diabetes. Requires daily shots. Was having daily tantrums. Was asked to moved. Suffers from depression. She is reportedly doing well now and, if asked, would prefer to live with her maternal aunt. However, placement with maternal aunt is not an option due to the number of siblings in this group that are to be placed together. It is believed she is approximately 5’4, with brown hair with a slender build, estimated weight 120. . At this very preliminary stage, there are no medical or mental health issues indicated in the paperwork reviewed other than what is stated herein. It is important to note that the paperwork reviewed is approximately 1% of what has been generated in the last 14 months since she was “sheltered by the State of Florida.
2. “Katie” is a 5 year old Caucasian girl who will turn six in April (born April 2010). She is currently in a foster care placement. She is in her 4th placement since October 2014, two moves were in accordance with her case plan and two were at the request of the care provider. There is some indication of allegation of an unknown nature that led to one move. Very poor dental care (four teeth extracted due to decay). She has light brown hair, slender build and average height. She does well in day care and has appropriate relations with peers. She has not expressed a specific desire for her future placement. At this very preliminary stage, there are no medical or mental health issues indicated in the paperwork reviewed other than what is stated herein. It is important to note that the paperwork reviewed is approximately 1% of what has been generated in the last 14 months since she was “sheltered by the State of Florida.
3. “Datz, Jr.” is a four year old Caucasian boy who will turn 5 in August (born August 2011). He is currently in a foster care placement. He is in his 4th placement since October 2014, two moves were in accordance with her case plan and two were at the request of the care provider. There is a report of behavioral issues at a dentist’s office and he has a history of pushing his peers. He has dark brown hair, slender and average height. It appears he is not very verbal but does interact well with his siblings. At this very preliminary stage, there are no medical or mental health issues indicated in the paperwork reviewed other than what is stated herein. It is important to note that the paperwork reviewed is approximately 1% of what has been generated in the last 14 months since he was “sheltered by the State of Florida.
MRM
1/29/16
1/29/16
Mark R. Miller, Esquire
Ford, Miller & Wainer, P.A.
4028 Blanding Boulevard
Jacksonville, Florida 32210
Landline: 904-390-1970
Cell/text: 904-477-6677
Fax: 904-354-9922
Email/service: miller@fordmiller.com
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