Section 409.1664, Florida Statutes, authorizes monetary benefits to certain employees who adopt a child from the Florida child welfare system.
The Department of Children and Families and the Office of Child & Family Well-Being, administers the program. The Adoption Unit of the Office of Child & Family Well-Being, is responsible for accepting applications, determining the benefit award for each eligible applicant and transferring the budget to each agency or school district that has an eligible employee.
Section 409.1664, Florida Statutes (F.S.), identifies eligible applicants as individuals who are employed full-time or part-time employees of a state agency (Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches, including the Department of Lottery), the state universities, community colleges, school districts, charter schools, Florida Virtual School, Water Management Districts and instructional personnel employed by the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. The legislatures have also identified individuals who are veterans, servicemembers, law enforcement officers as defined in s. F.S. 943.10(1), F.S.; and OPS workers who have been employed with a state agency for at least one year
If, prior to the adoption, the child was in the permanent custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families and the final order of adoption was granted on or after:
Children adopted internationally, through interventions, or privately are not eligible for this benefit.
Adoption of a Difficult to Place Child
Adoption of a Non- Difficult to Place Child
A child whose permanent custody has been awarded to the Florida Department of Children and Families or to a Florida licensed child-placing agency and who meets one or more of the following criteria:
Office of Child & Family Well-Being will accept applications during the annual open enrollment period, beginning the first business day of January and concluding on the last business day of March. To be considered for benefits, applicants must submit a completed Application for Adoption Benefit
The funding of the program varies each year and the amount of the annual appropriation affects how many applicants will receive a monetary benefit. By law, payments must be made in a lump sum and are considered supplemental wages and applicable payroll taxes must be deducted.
The applications are located on DCF Form website, and at the Adoption Information Center. (Applications from the prior program are not valid)
Contact your Human Resources Office or the Adoption Information Center at 1-800-96-ADOPT for additional information about the State Employee Adoption Benefit Program.