Adoption Guidelines
Dear Adopt-a-Family Sponsor:
First, thank you for accepting the responsibility and challenge of adopting a family in A Mom’s Helping Hand of SWFL program. This is a significant commitment on your part, and we believe you will find it a very rewarding one.
This letter explains the program in detail. Please read it over carefully.
HOW FAMILIES ARE CHOSEN. Families are carefully screened to ensure they are in need. We verify guardianship, financial need and household members. They have met our strict guidelines required to enter the program, this includes a home visit.
YOUR COMMITMENT. Christmas is a special time for children, so we are focusing on them. The sponsor buys presents for the household family members:
· 3 new presents for each child (This is just a guideline)
· 1 present for mom
· A Christmas dinner for the family (optional)
COSTS. The cost to adopt a family will of course depend on the size of the family you adopt. General guidelines are:
Christmas Presents: $20 to $45 a person (average)
We suggest a $20-$45 per person guideline for presents. You are not obligated to spend that amount. Some sponsors will spend more, while others who are creative or shop the pre-Christmas sales spend less.
WHAT INFORMATION IS PROVIDED? You will receive a family wish list that provides you with the age and clothing size for each member of the family, as well as their preference for presents (clothes and/or toys). You are not bound by any stated preference.
WHAT DO I DO NOW THAT I HAVE MY FAMILY? First, review the enclosed form. If you decide NOT to “adopt” the family, please call or email us immediately. We will try to assign the family to another sponsor. Sometimes two sponsors are asked to jointly adopt a family, usually because the family is very large and beyond the resources of one sponsor. If this applies to your family, please contact the other sponsor and coordinate your plans.
OTHER GIFTS. “Family” gifts – crock pots, electric frying pans, towels or bed linens – may be appropriate for parents. But keep in mind even a 40-year-old mother would enjoy a personal gift.
WHEN TO DELIVER. Presents should be unwrapped and delivered on or before December 7th. It’s nice to have presents under the tree for a couple of days before Christmas! This also will give the families time to shop for anything on their children's list they may want to purchase. If you are interested in helping with Christmas dinner, we suggest an additional gift card to Publix. This is much easier since there are still a few weeks before Christmas. Drop off locations will be emailed once the adoption is processed. The email will be sent to the email you used when you registered.
Your sacrifice has a tremendous psychological impact on your adopted family. Should your situation change at the last minute, please call us immediately at 941-999-1046 or email us so that we do not leave a family not being adopted.
Please note, we have families of several different walks of life, ages, family sizes etc. We do not just assist families with young children. Our guidelines are that the children be 18 or under. Single parents with kids over the age of 18 may still qualify if their child is enrolled in college. In which case, the parent is eligible until the child turns 21. Please keep this in mind as we have several families with teens and older children.
View families here
On behalf of A Mom’s Helping Hand of SWFL, thank you for your kind and generous spirit.
First, thank you for accepting the responsibility and challenge of adopting a family in A Mom’s Helping Hand of SWFL program. This is a significant commitment on your part, and we believe you will find it a very rewarding one.
This letter explains the program in detail. Please read it over carefully.
HOW FAMILIES ARE CHOSEN. Families are carefully screened to ensure they are in need. We verify guardianship, financial need and household members. They have met our strict guidelines required to enter the program, this includes a home visit.
YOUR COMMITMENT. Christmas is a special time for children, so we are focusing on them. The sponsor buys presents for the household family members:
· 3 new presents for each child (This is just a guideline)
· 1 present for mom
· A Christmas dinner for the family (optional)
COSTS. The cost to adopt a family will of course depend on the size of the family you adopt. General guidelines are:
Christmas Presents: $20 to $45 a person (average)
We suggest a $20-$45 per person guideline for presents. You are not obligated to spend that amount. Some sponsors will spend more, while others who are creative or shop the pre-Christmas sales spend less.
WHAT INFORMATION IS PROVIDED? You will receive a family wish list that provides you with the age and clothing size for each member of the family, as well as their preference for presents (clothes and/or toys). You are not bound by any stated preference.
WHAT DO I DO NOW THAT I HAVE MY FAMILY? First, review the enclosed form. If you decide NOT to “adopt” the family, please call or email us immediately. We will try to assign the family to another sponsor. Sometimes two sponsors are asked to jointly adopt a family, usually because the family is very large and beyond the resources of one sponsor. If this applies to your family, please contact the other sponsor and coordinate your plans.
OTHER GIFTS. “Family” gifts – crock pots, electric frying pans, towels or bed linens – may be appropriate for parents. But keep in mind even a 40-year-old mother would enjoy a personal gift.
WHEN TO DELIVER. Presents should be unwrapped and delivered on or before December 7th. It’s nice to have presents under the tree for a couple of days before Christmas! This also will give the families time to shop for anything on their children's list they may want to purchase. If you are interested in helping with Christmas dinner, we suggest an additional gift card to Publix. This is much easier since there are still a few weeks before Christmas. Drop off locations will be emailed once the adoption is processed. The email will be sent to the email you used when you registered.
Your sacrifice has a tremendous psychological impact on your adopted family. Should your situation change at the last minute, please call us immediately at 941-999-1046 or email us so that we do not leave a family not being adopted.
Please note, we have families of several different walks of life, ages, family sizes etc. We do not just assist families with young children. Our guidelines are that the children be 18 or under. Single parents with kids over the age of 18 may still qualify if their child is enrolled in college. In which case, the parent is eligible until the child turns 21. Please keep this in mind as we have several families with teens and older children.
View families here
On behalf of A Mom’s Helping Hand of SWFL, thank you for your kind and generous spirit.