Many Florida foster parents and foster children have the mistaken belief that, once a child turns 18, he or she is no longer eligible for adoption. In fact, Florida Statutes section 63.042 states explicitly that “[a]ny person, a minor or an adult, may be adopted.”
When teenagers come to live in a foster home, they oftentimes do not want to be adopted as they are seeking to exert their independence and may see adoption as a hindrance to that independence.
However, as children become older and more bonded to their foster parents, they may come to appreciate the permanence that comes with adoption. Further, as foster children become adults, and begin thinking about starting their own families, they may come to realize that they want their children to have grandparents.
Fortunately, Florida has expedited procedures for adult adoption.
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