, Fla. — For many families considering adoption, the biggest challenge is not the paperwork. It is knowing where to begin.
Two Trinity Preparatory School students say they created HavenLink, an online platform intended to guide prospective parents through the early stages of the adoption process.
“The process is very confusing,” HavenLink co-founder Asad Sadikov said. “There’s a bunch of different websites, and the process itself is scattered.”
The HavenLink website helps families learn about adoption, connect with licensed professionals and prepare for milestones including the required home study.
A home study generally involves background checks, interviews, documentation and an evaluation of whether a prospective family is prepared to adopt.
“We pair them with a home study agency and get them through the entire home study process, prepare all of their documentation, help them get their files in place and help them succeed,” Sadikov said.
Sadikov and co-founder Aarav Gupta recently stopped in Winter Park as part of what they call the Orlando Adoption Awareness Tour. The students are taking their message to local governments and encouraging officials to make adoption information easier for families to find.
“The biggest reason we’re doing this is to raise awareness about adoption because I don’t feel like our governments, our local governments, all the way to our federal government, are doing enough to advocate and help with this issue,” Gupta said.
The founders said HavenLink works with dozens of licensed adoption agencies across the country.
Bonnie Hilton with Hand in Hand International Adoptions said prospective parents frequently feel isolated while navigating the waiting periods, costs and legal requirements involved.
“A lot of times, others are challenged to understand how difficult the process is, and the waiting times, and the costs,” Hilton said. “These platforms are amazing in explaining the process and connections.”
Florida’s child-welfare system serves thousands of children outside their homes, although not every child in foster care is legally eligible for adoption.
The Florida Department of Children and Families served an average of 14,634 children and young adults in out-of-home care each month during 2025, according to a state legislative analysis.
The students emphasized that HavenLink is not an adoption agency and is not intended to replace licensed professionals. Instead, they hope it can serve as a starting point and help families remain organized throughout the process.
“If we can just make one difference to help the community, that’s all we need to do,” Gupta said.
In just over a year, the founders said more than 1,000 families have used HavenLink. They also reported that approximately 200 families have completed adoptions after using the platform. Channel 9 has asked HavenLink for additional information about how those outcomes are tracked.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2026 Cox Media Group
