Florida Statute 63.125 - Full Text and Legal Analysis

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title VI
CIVIL PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE

Chapter 63
ADOPTION

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F.S. 63.125

63.125 Final home investigation.—

(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.

(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.

(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.

History.—s. 14, ch. 92-96; s. 24, ch. 2001-3; s. 25, ch. 2003-58.

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Amendments to 63.125

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 63.125

Total Results: 5

By v. Department of Children and Families

887 So. 2d 1253, 29 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 659, 2004 Fla. LEXIS 1990, 2004 WL 2534335

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Nov 10, 2004 | Docket: 466585

Cited 38 times | Published

final home investigation was not required under section 63.125, Florida Statutes (1999), because B.Y. was

Florida Department of Children & Families v. Adoption of X.X.G.

45 So. 3d 79, 2010 Fla. App. LEXIS 14014, 61 A.L.R. 6th 621

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Sep 22, 2010 | Docket: 1927936

Cited 3 times | Published

adoption is in the best interest of the minor.” Id. § 63.125(1); Fla. Admin. Code R. 65C-16.001(7), (8). “The

Dept. of Children and Family Services v. By

863 So. 2d 418, 2003 Fla. App. LEXIS 19802, 2003 WL 23095250

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Dec 31, 2003 | Docket: 1728610

Cited 3 times | Published

upset by judicial intervention, even where section 63.125(1), Florida Statutes applies. B.Y. instead

Brown v. Ables (In Re Ables)

302 B.R. 917, 17 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 20, 2003 Bankr. LEXIS 1725, 2003 WL 23014382

United States Bankruptcy Court, M.D. Florida | Filed: Dec 24, 2003 | Docket: 2536683

Published

no such relationship, *920 Florida Statutes section 63.125 requires a home study, which specifically includes

Matter of Adoption of Kmc

606 So. 2d 1262, 1992 Fla. App. LEXIS 11345, 1992 WL 317557

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Oct 28, 1992 | Docket: 1511412

Published

is returned to the adoptive parents' home. See § 63.125, Fla. Stat. (1992).[1] The prospective parents