Florida Florida Statutes

§ 63.052 — Guardians designated; proof of commitment

FS § 63.052Ch. 63

Statute text

(1)For minors who have been placed for adoption with an adoption entity, other than an intermediary, such adoption entity shall be the guardian of the person of the minor and has the responsibility and authority to provide for the needs and welfare of the minor.

(2)For minors who have been voluntarily surrendered to an intermediary through an execution of a consent to adoption, the intermediary shall be responsible for the minor until the time a court orders preliminary approval of placement of the minor in the prospective adoptive home, after which time the prospective adoptive parents shall become guardians pending finalization of adoption, subject to the intermediary's right and responsibility to remove the child from the prospective adoptive home if the removal is deemed by the intermediary to be in the best interests of the child. The intermediary may not remove the child without a court order unless the child is in danger of imminent harm. The intermediary does not become responsible for the minor child's medical bills that were incurred before taking physical custody of the child after the execution of adoption consents. Prior to the court's entry of an order granting preliminary approval of the placement, the intermediary shall have the responsibility and authority to provide for the needs and welfare of the minor. A minor may not be placed in a prospective adoptive home until that home has received a favorable preliminary home study, as provided in s. 63.092, completed and approved within 1 year before such placement in the prospective home. The provisions of s. 627.6578 shall remain in effect notwithstanding the guardianship provisions in this section.

(3)If a minor is surrendered to an adoption entity for subsequent adoption and a suitable prospective adoptive home is not available pursuant to s. 63.092 at the time the minor is surrendered to the adoption entity, the minor must be placed in a licensed foster care home, with a person or family that has received a favorable preliminary home study pursuant to subsection (2), or with a relative until a suitable prospective adoptive home is available.

(4)If a minor is voluntarily surrendered to an adoption entity for subsequent adoption and the adoption does not become final within 180 days after termination of parental rights, the adoption entity must report to the court on the status of the minor and the court may at try and which is printed in English, Spanish, and Creole. The pamphlet shall indicate the procedures for voluntary acknowledgment of paternity, the consequences of acknowledgment of paternity, the consequences of failure to acknowledge paternity, and the address of the Florida Putative Father Registry. Such pamphlets or publications shall be made available for distribution at all offices of the Department of Health and the Department of Children and Families and shall be included in health class curricula taught in public and charter schools in this state. The Department of Health shall also provide such pamphlets or publications to hospitals, adoption entities, libraries, medical clinics, schools, universities, and providers of child-related services, upon request. In cooperation with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, each person applying for a Florida driver license, or renewal thereof, and each person applying for a Florida identification card shall be offered the pamphlet or publication informing the public about the Florida Putative Father Registry.

(12)The Department of Health shall, within existing resources, provide additional information about the Florida Putative Father Registry and its services to the public in English, Spanish, and Creole using public service announcements, Internet websites, and such other means as it deems appropriate.63.053 Rights and responsibilities of an unmarried biological father; legislative findings.—(1) In enacting the provisions contained in this chapter, the Legislature prescribes the conditions for determining whether an unmarried biological father's actions are sufficiently prompt and substantial so as to require protection of a constitutional right. If an unmarried biological father fails to take the actions that are available to him to establish a relationship with his child, his parental interest may be lost entirely, or greatly diminished, by his failure to timely comply with the available legal steps to substantiate a parental interest.

(2)The Legislature finds that the interests of the state, the mother, the child, and the adoptive parents described in this chapter outweigh the interest of an unmarried biological father who does not take action in a timely manner to establish and demonstrate a relationship with his child in accordance with the requirements of this chapter. An unmarried biological father has the primary responsibility to protect his rights and is presumed to know that his child may be adopted without his consent unless he strictly complies with this chapter and demonstrates a prompt and full commitment to his parental responsibilities.

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Legislative history

s. 10, ch. 2003-58; s. 9, ch. 2012-81.