Florida child-welfare administrators have received a big bundle of joy from the federal government: nearly $10 million in aid for the state's adoption program -- which has become a national model after several years of poor performance.

For the second year in a row, the Department of Children & Families has led the nation -- by a wide margin -- in the number of children successfully adopted from foster care. For their efforts, DCF will receive a hefty bonus that can be used to boost next year's adoption program.

Each year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awards ``bonuses'' to state social service agencies that improve upon the prior year's performance in finding permanent homes for abused, neglected or abandoned children whose parents' rights have been terminated.

This year, 38 states and Puerto Rico shared a total of $35 million in adoption-incentive bonuses -- with more than $9.75 million, or close to 30 percent of the total -- going to DCF. The state with the second-best performance, Texas, was awarded half of Florida's total, nearly $5 million in bonus money.

COMMON MYTHS

DCF Secretary George Sheldon credits a statewide campaign spearheaded by Gov. Charlie Crist and Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, called Explore Adoption, that sought to debunk many of the common myths about adopting from state care.

Families that adopt foster children, for example, can receive state college tuition waivers, health insurance under Medicaid, and a monthly stipend to help defray the costs of raising a child. Sheldon said many parents were afraid to adopt, fearing it would cost too much money.

At a recent adoption ceremony in Jacksonville -- which led the state with 500 finalized adoptions this year -- Sheldon said he asked a 17-year-old boy why he chose to be adopted when he was on the cusp of adulthood anyway. ``He said, `Now I have a place to go home to for Thanksgiving and Christmas,' '' Sheldon said.

`DON'T GIVE UP'

In recent months, DCF has focused on finding homes for the 100 children who have remained in state care the longest. Typically, such children are older, and might have a developmental disability or mental illness. ``Any child can be adopted as long as you don't give up,'' Sheldon said. ``There is no such thing as a child who is unadoptable.''

For budget year 2009, 3,777 Florida foster children found permanent homes through adoption. Among them were 381 Miami-Dade children and another 231 from Broward, said DCF spokeswoman Carrie Hoeppner. The previous year, 3,674 foster children were adopted, including 320 from Miami-Dade and 228 from Broward.

In Miami, Fran Allegra, the head of Our Kids, the private foster-care agency under contract with DCF, was named a 2009 Angel in Adoption by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute for Our Kids' success in finding permanent homes for foster kids. Allegra, and 190 others, will accept the award at a Sept. 30 ceremony in Washington, D.C.

``Every child deserves a permanent and loving home,'' said Allegra, whose agency has found homes for 1,500 children since its inception in May 2005.

`JOY'

Sheldon said many people consider adoption as a way to help a vulnerable child or to give something back to their communities. What they don't understand, he said, is that adopting can be profoundly satisfying to the parents.

``It really does bring as much joy to the adoptive parents as it does to the child,'' Sheldon said.