step parrent adoption

[sltgjt]

What is the name of your state? Florida
I am the stepmom of a abused little boy. His mom has 3 other kids in foster care she is most likely going to have her rights terminated in Oct. for them. Shawn is not apart of that case and as of right now she can't have any vistation unless she gets a job, place to live big enough for 4 kids and maintains all of that. She has done nothing in this past year that the judge has ordered and hardly shows up to the weekly visitations for her other kids (maybe once a month). She has only talked to Shawn 4 times in almost a year. Also she was proven to have negleted and to have abused all the kids. I wanted to adopt him (he wants that also). I was wondering what the laws in Fl. are for stepparent adoption? How long do you have to be married? and just how to go about it?

[tigger22472]

Unless the courts terminate her rights due to the abuse or she agrees to an adoption then likely there is nothing you can do as she has had contact. Generally the rules for a TPR are no contact and/or support for a certain amount of time, and generally the other bio and the step-parent must be married a year before proceedings will be allowed to be finalized. Simply proving her unfit, it's going to get rights taken away, those are done through the state and are generally for severe actions like the case you stated but you also said this child is not part of that case. If her rights are teminated in the other case it could possibly give you and your husband some leverage, however it's not a guarantee.