FACE$ OF DCF ADOPTION$ FOR FEDERAL MONEY is a new series we’re starting to expose how the Florida Department of Families (DCF) rakes in federal money by removing kids from their families, placing them in state custody, and then adopting them out to others. This “system” was established after President Bill Clinton’s 1997 Adoption and Safe Families Act established financial rewards for state’s which meet adoption quotas.  

My name is Britney Honaker, and I am a mother who has been fighting since June 2023 to bring my daughter home. My dependency case took place in Santa Rosa County, Florida. From the moment my child was removed, my only goal was reunification. I believed that if I did everything asked of me—if I worked on myself, healed, complied with services, and demonstrated real change—my daughter would come home where she belongs.

I complied with every court-ordered service required of me. I completed therapy. I completed parenting classes. I completed domestic violence education. I followed my case plan in full. I secured stable housing and reliable transportation. I showed up consistently and took accountability for my past. I did not resist services—I embraced them, because my child mattered more than anything else.

At no point was I accused of physically abusing my daughter. The concerns raised in my case centered largely around my past relationships and subjective perceptions of my judgment, rather than any allegation that I had harmed my child. Despite this, those concerns continued to outweigh my documented compliance and progress.

An important part of this story is my daughter’s father. He willingly traveled from Maryland to Florida for the sole purpose of voluntarily surrendering his parental rights. His surrender was intentional, planned, and undisputed. In contrast, I remained in the case, worked my plan, complied with every requirement, and fought for reunification. Despite these vastly different paths, the system ultimately treated permanency as though both parents had equally abandoned the fight, even though I never did.

Over time, despite my compliance and despite documented completion of services, the goal of my case shifted from reunification to adoption. This shift did not come with a meaningful opportunity for me to fully present my evidence, my accomplishments, or the changes I had made. Instead, I increasingly felt discouraged, sidelined, and treated as though no amount of effort or growth would ever be enough.

Under extreme emotional and psychological distress, I surrendered my parental rights. That decision was not made from a place of clarity or strength. I was overwhelmed, mentally unwell, and deeply afraid. I believed I had no real chance to be heard and no meaningful opportunity to fight for my daughter. I did not fully understand the permanence of what I was signing, and I did not feel adequately supported or advised at the time. I now understand that a surrender of parental rights is supposed to be knowing, intelligent, and voluntary—and I do not believe mine met that standard.

Once I regained clarity, I immediately began trying to undo what had happened. I filed motions. I pursued appeals. I raised serious concerns about due process, coercion, and ineffective assistance of counsel. I tried repeatedly to explain that my mental health—particularly my diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder—played a significant role in my emotional state and my ability to make fully informed decisions under pressure. Rather than being treated with understanding and context, my mental health was used against me, reinforcing harmful stereotypes instead of acknowledging my treatment, stability, and progress.

Where things stand now, my parental rights have been terminated. I have no visitation. I continue to pursue every legal avenue available to me, even when I am told how unlikely success may be. I continue because giving up would mean abandoning my child—and that is something I will never do.

At the heart of this story is my daughter. I want her home. She deserves to be home with her mother—someone who has loved her since before she was born, who bonded with her, nurtured her, protected her, and has never stopped fighting for her. I think about her every day. Everything I have done since this case began has been motivated by her safety, her stability, and her well-being. Losing her has been the most devastating experience of my life, but it has not diminished my love or my resolve.

I am not sharing my story to attack individuals or to seek sympathy. I am sharing it because I believe there is a serious and often hidden problem within the dependency system—particularly in how parents who are actively trying to heal, especially those with mental health diagnoses, are treated. Compliance does not always lead to reunification. Progress does not always matter. And surrender is not always as voluntary or informed as the system assumes.

I believe the public deserves to understand how easily a parent can lose their child even while doing everything asked of them. Transparency, accountability, and nuance matter—not just for me, but for other families quietly enduring the same pain without a voice.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Yes, some kids need to be removed from dangerous situations, obviously; however, the goal of this series is to share stories from families who seemingly deserved consideration for reunification instead of parental rights termination. Hundreds of families have reached out since we started uncovering problems with DCF in Northwest Florida. Many are afraid to speak out, and others can’t because they’re under judge-imposed gag orders. Want to share your story? Email info@ssrnews.com. There is strength in numbers.

South Santa Rosa News/Milton Post is especially grateful to volunteers, including Sherry Chapman, Cindy Smith and Jess Prescott, who are helping gather and process information with the goal of legislative-based DCF reform. There will be a peaceful assembly for DCF reform taking place at 8 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 9 at Santa Rosa County Courthouse, located at 4025 Avalon Boulevard. 

Want to help? Ask for a DCF investigation and reform by emailing GovernorRon.DeSantis@eog.myflorida.com 

Want to learn more about the issue? Highly recommend watching this documentary on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PhEAfUdI0fs?si=_eZEdE2I2ywB_LH6