I’m Pregnant

Pregnant? You are not alone. Let us help you.

Contact a Caseworker by text or phone!

Creating An Adoption Plan For Your Child

for your unplanned pregnancy

pregnancy support

Access

Unplanned pregnancy options for Florida Expectant Moms.

Full, 24/7 access to a real counselor; even in the middle of the night.

Knowledge that a counselor from an adoption agency in Florida will meet with you regularly to help you create your unique Pregnancy Plan – one that meets your needs.

pregnancy support

Help

We will help you look at the bigger picture surrounding your circumstances. We can often help with Medicaid, Food Stamps, and other community programs that may be available to you during this time.  We can provide reasonable financial assistance for expectant mothers to help with necessary living expenses.  We are an adoption agency near me.

We are able to assist in helping you to communicate &/or better educate the baby’s father and family members regarding your plans for your unplanned pregnancy.

birth mother inquiry

If you choose adoption

You will have assistance as you determine the characteristics of the prospective “adoptive family” that you will ultimately choose to parent your child.

As an adoption agency  in Florida, we review each prospective family we add to our waiting list. We confirm they have met or exceeded the highest standards and passed all background screens (local, state, & federal) including “child abuse”, “domestic violence”, and “FBI” screens.

Assurance that you will be able to determine the level of interaction with the adoptive family after placement. From a Closed to Open Adoption, there is a variety of "openness" to consider. We also train prospective adoptive families to be open to updates with birth families, and facilitate interaction with both birth and adoptive families.

birth mother inquiry

Continued Support

As a licensed adoption agency in Florida, we genuinely care about YOU. We focus on helping you make the best choice (only you can make that choice) when the time comes.

An attempt to help you begin focusing on your “future” plans and enabling you to begin working towards their achievement (finishing school, GED, work, etc.)

We are here for you 24/7. You can reach us any time of the day or night by calling our

Pregnancy Hotline at

1-800-226-2367 or 352-440-8067

How we can help

Medical Care

Access to prenatal care is most likely one of your biggest concerns. CFS will help with that.

We will assist in assuring that you receive appropriate medical care relating to your pregnancy. We will even help you apply for Medicaid if needed.

Transportation Assistance

It's hard to keep appointments when relying on others for rides or when there's no money for gas.

CFS will assist in getting you to-and-from pre-natal medical appointments. We can also assist with reasonable transportation expenses.

Emotional Guidance

A compassionate caseworker will work with you to provide the emotional support & comfort you need. 

We will not only be with you during the pregnancy, but also at the hospital and more importantly, available to you afterward.

Food and Financial Support

Proper nutrition is so important, especially while you're expecting. 

CFS can help you with Food Stamps and WIC, as needed. We can also assist with ongoing grocery expenses.

A Safe Place to Sleep

Ensuring you have safe & adequate housing is important to reducing stress during your pregnancy.

CFS can assist with addressing your financial needs for safe & adequate housing.

Find Pregnancy Resources

CFS will do everything possible to ensure that you get the best care and attention. 

We network with Pregnancy Centers & community groups to help you acquire the special things you may need during pregnancy such as maternity clothes and other items.

I will be forever grateful for the help you (CFS) gave me. You have been a blessing to me and to ‘Hanna’. Thank you so much for making a potentially bad situation into a ‘miracle’ for all involved! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Amanda

Birth Mother

I was given the blessing of two parents who love me, who needed me, and who still take such good care of me. I am thankful every day for the woman who was so brave and let me have a different life, and I'm so thankful for the people like you who made that happen for me. Thank you for all you do, and thank you for helping me so sweetly. 

A Happy Adult Adoptee

I made the decision I did because I want the best for you and want you to have everything in the world.

A Birth Mother

I woke up and you crossed my mind…thank u and mr. jerry for everything…I promise to always stay in touch.

A Birth Mother

In a text sent at 5am

We have been greatly pleased with Christian Family Services. They met with our daughter weekly at a place of her choosing. They encouraged her, giving her the necessary tools to make the right decision for her and her baby. When troubles arose, they were there to help her through them. Their standards for potential adoptive parents go well above Florida’s standards. They are very loving and compassionate. They are there during the entire hospital stay, not only for mom, but adoptive parents. The Spirit of God is evident in their lives and they never leave without prayer. They will always have a special place in our hearts. If you are looking for an agency to help you find the right family for your baby, I highly recommend them.

A Birth Grand Mother

When I was 18, I gave birth to a son. He was adopted through your agency. My son, Aaron, and I met for the first time when he was 17 years old.
He is now 31, married, and my daughter's best friend.

I just wanted to send a short note to thank your agency and all those who helped me get through a very difficult time in my life.
Aaron’s adoptive parents were wonderful people!

I have since married and had two other children.

Christian family Services not only saved my life but improved it as well.

Thank You so much.

Terri

a CFS Mom

I’m so thankful my birth mom planned a wonderful life for me. ❤️

Melissa L

Adoptee

I want everyone to know my rights to be a mom and the options I have chosen since from the beginning of my pregnancy. …my decision for my daughter is not because I’m not capable of being a mom. I’m not doing the adoption just to give her up, but to give her a better future. This is what I’m looking forward to.

Anonymity requested

a CFS mom

…I feel like its better for him. So that he can be in a two-parent environment, with a solid foundation, people around him and a good influence in his life. . . I know I’d be an excellent mom, but we’d just struggle. I don’t want that for him. …I want better for him.

Anonymity requested

a CFS mom

We know the frustration of longing to have a child but being unable to conceive, compounded by the knowledge that all around us in the world people make the choice to terminate their pregnancies seemingly without regard for the precious gift that they have been given. We thank God for mothers who choose to give their children life in adoptive families and for agencies that facilitate the process. Thirty-four years ago, Christian Family Services served God’s will to answer our prayers by placing a precious baby girl in our family.

Richard and Debra

Adoptive Parents and Grandparents!

Common Questions

AM I COMMITTED TO ANYTHING IF I CONTACT CFS?

No, CFS is simply here to help you look at all of your options. We want you to make an informed choice regarding your unplanned pregnancy. We will meet with you and discuss all of your options. We want you to understand every aspect of adoption in Florida and not feel pressured from anyone, including family and friends. We want to be a "safe place" for expectant mothers to talk and explore options without fear of judgment or shame.

WHAT IS AN "OPEN" ADOPTION?

We want you to be actively involved in determining what your adoption plan looks like. This is unique for every mom. We will work with you to determine what characteristics you would like the adoptive family to have, and the level of openness that you think you would like after the adoption is finalized.

We will show you profiles of prospective families that come closest to meeting your criteria. Once you and the family are in agreement in regard to pursuing your adoption plan with them, we will help you determine what level of communication you want for the remainder of your pregnancy.

We will help you design your own hospital plan. You will be able to decide who you want to be there and when. You will determine how much or how little time you spend with your baby and how much time you want the adoptive family to have.

We will also help construct a Communications Agreement so that both you and the adoptive family will have a written reminder regarding the level of communication after placement and what it will look like. You can specify the frequency of pictures and updates. These may come through the agency, or there may be agreement to have direct contact via email, social media, Skype,etc. There may even be an understanding about potential future visits.

NOTE: You need to know that should you initially decide that you want a CLOSED Adoption, you will not be forced to do any of the above. All of your personal information will be kept confidential. We simply want you to know that these options are available to you. Also know that you can always come back at a later date and ask for at least pictures and updates from the adoptive family.

WHEN IS IT TOO LATE TO MAKE AN ADOPTION PLAN?

It is never too late to make an adoption plan for your baby. It is always a very tough emotional choice, but can be less stressful if done before you leave the hospital. That is a major reason we want to work with moms during their pregnancies so that when they get to the hospital, they know what they want to do.

However, some moms don’t come to that conclusion until they are at the hospital and the baby is already here. In that case, normally we can still accommodate mom’s wishes and make everything happen before she and the baby are discharged. That means we can still help her to choose the family and normally she can meet them before she leaves the hospital.

Sometimes a mom takes her baby home, only later to discover that she isn’t able to make it work, or she may simply decide that she wants a better life for her child than she can currently provide. She makes that sacrificial choice by putting the best interest of her child above her own wants. She knows that she is making a loving choice to give her child both a mom and a dad in a good Christian home, and that she will be able to still see and know (through pictures and updates, etc.) that her child is growing and happy.

HOW DO I KNOW THE FAMILY IS WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE AND WILL KEEP THEIR WORD?

CFS sets the standard qualifications higher than the state requires in order to assure birth parents that the family chosen is indeed the best family.

All families must go through extensive background checks and screens. They must be cleared by local (city & county), state (FDLE), and federal (FBI) background checks as well as the Child Abuse Registry and Domestic Violence screens.

In addition, we review references from key individuals from every aspect of their lives. A caseworker spends a large amount of time in their home interviewing them and probing every aspect of their lives. This includes their families when they were growing up and their relationship with parents and siblings. We get into how they met and why they are pursuing adoption.

We want to know everything there is about them so that when we present a profile to you, we can answer your questions and reassure you that they are who they say they are.

CAN I CHANGE MY MIND ABOUT ADOPTION?

By Florida law, a mom cannot sign anything legally binding until at least 48 hours after the baby is born. Up to that time, whether during the pregnancy or at the hospital, a mom has the right to change her mind and choose to parent.

When a mom is being discharged and if she says the adoption plan is still what’s best for her baby, she may sign the legal paperwork. At that time she will sign consents terminating her parental rights. Once signed, it is legal and binding and may not be undone.

That is again why we want to work with that mom to help her be absolutely certain that this is what she believes is in the best interest of her child.

DOES THE BABY’S FATHER HAVE ANY RIGHTS?

In Florida, it matters whether the mother was married at the time of conception and/or delivery of the baby. There are different rules that apply to an unmarried biological father and to one who is married to the mother.

For more information on this subject, we would like to sit down with you and first learn the details of your particular situation. This will help us to give you a more accurate picture of your case. Please call: 1-800-226-2367.

DO I HAVE TO TELL THE FATHER THAT I’M PREGNANT IN ORDER TO MAKE AN ADOPTION PLAN?

Florida law requires that a known birth father who can be located, must be served with a Notice of Intended Adoption Plan. This is not your responsibility. We will attempt to contact the father, sit down with him and explain what is happening. If he refuses to meet with us, then we will have him served with the legal document. The legal document tells him what he must do in order to protect his parental rights and the limited time that he has to do it in. You do not have to have any contact with him if you choose not to.

IF DCF IS INVOLVED, WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?

If you have another child(ren) in State Foster Care, then there is a good chance that they may not allow you to leave the hospital with this baby. If that is the case and you do nothing, they will place the baby in a foster home and you may or may not be allowed to have any contact.

You can attempt to satisfy DCF by successfully completing a parenting plan. You will not know whether your child stays with the same foster home or ends up being moved to another home while you work your plan. DCF may decide that they do not want to give you any more chances to work things out and will then petition the court to terminate your parental rights without your consent. If the court approves, your rights will be terminated and your baby will be placed for adoption with a family that you do not know and you may never know where your baby is or how they are growing.

Or, if while you are still in the hospital DCF learns that you have an adoption plan, normally they will back off and allow you to follow through on that plan. That means that the baby will leave the hospital with the adoptive family that you have chosen and you will have the peace of mind knowing that you will still have some degree of contact with your child for the next 18 years.

If, you allow DCF to place your baby/child in foster care and they later threaten to terminate your parental rights, you can still contact us and create an adoption plan. This must be done before the hearing actually takes place to terminate your rights. Often times we can intervene in the case and the child will be placed into an adoptive family who will be willing to at least send pictures and updates.

Unplanned pregnancy florida adoption

Download Our Free Expectant Mom Adoption Guide.

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Successful Adoptions

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Overall my experience with CFS has been wonderful. My case worker was there with me through thick and thin and with a short amount of time, too. When contacting them I was only a month away from giving birth and without hesitation they helped.

– Lindsie, Birth Mom

Read More

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I definitely will provide Christian Family Services to anyone that will go through this experience that took me in this direction. Absolutely! In the beginning, whatever service I needed it got taken care of immediately.

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Actually doing the adoption was so comfortable. I thought it was going to be judgmental and awkward. But I actually had choices; I had control over the adoption. I was included in all the decisions. That is what I love about it.

 

Post Adoption Services

Helping You Get Back On Your Feet

Even after the placement of your baby, your Social Worker
and CFS can help with extended services:

  • Post-placement Counseling
  • GED assistance
  • Continued Education – scholarships available
  • Resume’ building
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • Community Resource Referrals
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Are youand looking for information about adoption?

Pregnancy Hotline at

1-800-226-2367 or 352-440-8067