Florida Statutes 63.125 – Final home investigation
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(1) The final home investigation must be conducted before the adoption becomes final. The investigation may be conducted by a licensed child-placing agency or a professional in the same manner as provided in s. 63.092 to ascertain whether the adoptive home is a suitable home for the minor and whether the proposed adoption is in the best interest of the minor. Unless directed by the court, an investigation and recommendation are not required if the petitioner is a stepparent or if the minor is related to one of the adoptive parents within the third degree of consanguinity. The department is required to perform the home investigation only if there is no licensed child-placing agency or professional pursuant to s. 63.092 in the county in which the prospective adoptive parent resides.
(2) The department, the licensed child-placing agency, or the professional that performs the investigation must file a written report of the investigation with the court and the petitioner within 90 days after placement.
(3) The report of the investigation must contain an evaluation of the placement with a recommendation on the granting of the petition for adoption and any other information the court requires regarding the petitioner or the minor.
(4) The department, the licensed child-placing agency, or the professional making the required investigation may request other state agencies or child-placing agencies within or outside this state to make investigations of designated parts of the inquiry and to make a written report to the department, the professional, or other person or agency.
(5) The final home investigation must include:
(a) The information from the preliminary home study.
Terms Used In Florida Statutes 63.125
- Adoption: means the act of creating the legal relationship between parent and child where it did not exist, thereby declaring the child to be legally the child of the adoptive parents and their heir at law and entitled to all the rights and privileges and subject to all the obligations of a child born to such adoptive parents in lawful wedlock. See Florida Statutes 63.032
- Agency: means any child-placing agency licensed by the department pursuant to…. See Florida Statutes 63.032
- Court: means a circuit court of this state and, if the context requires, the court of any state that is empowered to grant petitions for adoption. See Florida Statutes 63.032
- Department: means the Department of Children and Families. See Florida Statutes 63.032
- minor: includes any person who has not attained the age of 18 years. See Florida Statutes 1.01
- Parent: means a woman who gives birth to a child and who is not a gestational surrogate as defined in…. See Florida Statutes 63.032
- Person: includes a natural person, corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, or association, and any other legal entity. See Florida Statutes 63.032
- Placement: means the process of a parent or legal guardian surrendering a child for adoption and the prospective adoptive parents receiving and adopting the child and all actions by any adoption entity participating in placing the child. See Florida Statutes 63.032
(b) After the minor is placed in the intended adoptive home, two scheduled visits with the minor and the minor’s adoptive parent or parents, one of which visits must be in the home, to determine the suitability of the placement.
(c) The family social and medical history as provided in s. 63.082.
(d) Any other information relevant to the suitability of the intended adoptive home.
(e) Any other relevant information, as provided in rules that the department may adopt.