If you reside in another state and adopt a child who is born in Florida, you will have to go through the ICPC (Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children) process. This compact oversees the transport of children from one state to another in an adoption or foster care situation. It is a mandatory legal process and each state has their own ICPC office and process.
While this can be the most dreaded part of the adoption process, the ICPC Office’s job is to ensure the safety and welfare of each child moving from one state to another and is vital to the adoption and foster care system. A packet of documents providing the ICPC Office a complete picture of your adoption case is provided to the state of Florida ICPC Office first and then if approved, it is forwarded on to your home state for their approval. The staff will review the packet in a timely and efficient manner, but it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to gain approval. Of course, it is the goal of both My Florida Adoptions, LLC and the ICPC Offices to get each family home safely and as quickly as possible.
While we know it is so hard to wait for that phone call that you have been approved to return home (especially with family and friends anxiously awaiting your return) it is a sweet time to bond with your new baby and just enjoy a period of uninterrupted family time. Enjoy getting to know your baby. Enjoy Florida weather (especially if you are from the North). Take a walk on the beach, grab a grouper sandwich and don’t miss one of our fantastic sunsets. Visit with the birth mother and take pictures to memorialize your child’s birth place and birth family. Embrace the Wait!