10 Frequently Asked Questions About Birth Fathers in Florida

By Katy Reagan

If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy, you may be looking into adoption in Florida. Adoption is an opportunity to give your child the best life possible. Starting the process can seem difficult, however. You likely have a lot of questions and aren’t sure where to start. Adoption Choices of Florida is a local, licensed private adoption agency. We help you find the resources to place your child and answer any questions you may have. 

Florida Birth Father FAQs and Answers

1. What is a birth father?

A birth father is the biological father of a child. A birth father only has parental rights to their child if they establish paternity. The relationships birth fathers have to birth mothers vary greatly. You may still be in a relationship, in touch, or even unknown to the birth mother. Birth fathers also have a choice in how involved they are in the adoption.

2. Is the birth father’s consent required for adoption?

The birth father’s consent is not always required for an adoption to proceed. The need for consent depends on many different factors. For more information on this, consult your adoption specialist.

3. What is the Florida Putative Father Registry?

The Putative Father Registry is where birth fathers can register themselves as the father of a child. They do this if they are not married to the birth mother but wish to establish paternity. They are notified if their child is placed for adoption and given the chance to contest.

4. What if the birth father is unknown? 

A birth mother may not know the identity of the birth father. There are many ways this could’ve happened, and there is no shame in this situation. If the birth father is unknown, the adoption can proceed without his consent. It is unlikely he knows about the pregnancy, so it is also unlikely he will be on the Putative Father Registry.

5. Can Adoption Choices of Florida find the birth father?

Even if the identity of the birth father is unknown, Adoption Choices of Florida will still try to find him. Give our adoption specialists all the information you know about him, and we will begin searching. This also goes for when the identity is known, but he has been unreachable. We make sure to do our due diligence. We follow all legal procedures. If we find him, we try to either get the adoption signed off on or for him to relinquish his parental rights.

6. What if the birth father is unsupportive or uninvolved?

If you are pregnant and don’t want the baby but know who the father is, you are required to notify him of the adoption. This creates a situation where he may or may not support the adoption. He might also wish not to be involved. If he supports the adoption, his consent will be given willingly. If he is unsupportive, he may want you to keep the child or adopt the child himself. In either case, you will have to seek legal guidance on how to proceed.

7. Can the birth father adopt his own child?

It’s possible for birth fathers to have full parental rights as long as the birth mother agrees. Many children grow up with a single father. A birth father can provide the stable and loving home necessary for a child. If the birth mother does not agree, however, the matter will have to be taken to a lawyer. Birth fathers will still have to prove they can provide the necessary support for the child – physically, emotionally, and financially.  

8. Can the birth father see his child after the adoption?

If a birth father wishes to continue a relationship with his child after adoption, it is possible. This is something that will need to be discussed while creating the adoption plan. In order to maintain contact, it will need to be an open adoption.

An open adoption allows full communication between adoptive parents, birth parents, and the child. This is possible whether or not the birth mother also wants to maintain contact. She and the adoptive parents just have to agree for communication to be possible for the birth father.

An open adoption looks different for every family. Scheduled visits, regular updates, and pictures of the child are all possible. Birth fathers can still play a role in their child’s life even after adoption.

9. How can the birth father support the birth mother?

A birth father may or may not want a say in the adoption process. Either way, you can still support the birth mother. You are both going through a mental and emotional battle. But it is important to remember that she is suffering physically as well. A birth mother needs all the support and comfort she can get during this process. She needs to know she is loved and cared for as well as her child.

In order to support her, as a birth father, you can reassure her she is making the right choice. Let her know that adoption is selfless. She is giving her child a loving and supportive home while making adoptive parents’ dreams come true. Support the decisions she makes in the adoption plan. Be with her at meetings or in the hospital if she wants you there. If you do not want to be a part of the adoption process, let her make the decisions. This takes any unnecessary stress off her shoulders.

10. Do birth fathers care about their child?

It is a common misconception that birth fathers do not care about their child. Most birth fathers do love and care for their children. They simply want what is best for them, just as birth mothers do. To them, this may mean supporting the adoption process or not. Everyone has a different idea of how to best care for their child. As long as you are providing the child with love and support, you are doing what is best.

How Adoption Choices of Florida Can Help You Today

Our local adoption agencies near you can help you begin the adoption process today. It can feel scary and uncertain to figure out the birth father’s role in the adoption process. Adoption Choices of Florida is here to answer any questions and guide you through the process. We want to make this as easy on you as possible, whether you are a birth mother or a birth father. We have the same goal as you: to give your child the best chance at life. If you are pregnant and considering adoption in Florida, contact us today.