Home Study

A Home Study is a collection of documents required for a family to adopt a child.  It is particularly important when the adoption crosses state or international lines.  Without a home study, adoption doesn't happen.

So what is this pile of documents and how does it come about?

It's
a lot
of
paperwork.

Including, but not limited to;
-State background check
-Federal background check (which requires official fingerprinting done at your local sheriff's department)
-Child abuse registry
-Medical Release Forms (obtained by having a physical or meeting with a physician)
-Copies of Marriage license and picture ID's
-Recent tax and income forms.
-5-10 References on your character
-Proof of employment, plus a note from your employer about your future employment status.
-All of you contact information
-Contact information for close family members
-Ages and birth dates of close family members
-The Actual Home Study Document

The Home Study Document
The Home Study itself is the collection of documents above, plus a written paper by a licensed professional describing how you were raised, your life currently, and how you plan to parent.  The most important aspect of this document is the final paragraph, when the home study provider essentially recommends you as acceptable adoptive parents.

To get this document, you have to meet with your home study provider (a licensed social worker).  He or she is required to meet you a few times, and at least once in your home.  In our case, we needed to meet three times, for two hours at a time, at least once in our home.  During these visits, Nancy, our home study provider, collected information about our families and how we were raised, our marriage and what life looks like now, and how we planned on parenting once we were chosen.  She did a tour of our home and didn't notice anything that would be dangerous for a child (for example, she said, you shouldn't have a hole in your floor).  Often, these visits mean you should have your electrical outlets plugged, all of your dangerous cleaning supplies (bleach, etc.) locked away, as well as any weapons, etc.  There also has to be adequate room for a child, so if you want two kids, each should have their own bedroom, that sort of thing.

When she collected all of our information, Nancy wrote a condensed version of our life and her recommendation for us to be adoptive parents.  It took some time to get all of those initial meetings scheduled, all of the references contacted, and all of the other documents lined up, but for us it only took about four weeks to complete it all (and most of that was just having to wait between meetings with Nancy, because it wasn't like we could just sit together for six hours straight).

Having a home study completed isn't free.  Depending on how an adoption is done, you will pay the agency or the provider directly.  If they have to travel, you will have to pay travel and gas fees.  You will also have to pay for background checks ($50 or so for federal and $25 or so for state) and of course paying for your doctor visit.

I mention cost because in domestic infant adoption or international adoption, the initial cost sounds scary, and doesn't even take into account all of the little extra fees that sneak up on you.   Always plan ahead and have more funds available than you think you'll need.