What is a home study?
The laws of each state in the United States and adoption require propsective adoptive parents to obtain an approved home study. The purpose of a home study is to prepare the adoptive family for adoption and to evaluate a family’s ability and readiness to adopt. This does not mean that a family or individual must be perfect. It just means that a person can offer a child a stable and loving environment. Typically, a report will be prepared by a licensed social worker. Typically, the process may involve training requirements, interviews, home visit, background checks, review of medical information, income statement, answering a set of autobiographical questions, and references. Once all of this is completed, the social worker will write a report, aka, home study. In general, the report will discuss issues such as: family background, employment, education, relationships, daily life, spiritual life, neighborhood, parenting, feelings about adoption, a statement concerning the risks inherent
A home study and an adoption study are one and the same thing. It was someone’s idea that the document that describes how a family lives, where they live, how they work and play and manage their money is more than a study of the family’s home. Although adoption study is the preferred verbiage in the field of social work, everyone commonly calls this document a home study. Each agency has a protocol for gathering the information that is found in an adoption study. At Crossroads, our families receive a list of questions to answer. Those answers become the basis of the adoption study. Crossroads families receive a draft of their adoption study so that they can be assured that it accurately describes them. The adoption study is then ready for use with the child source. A child study can be very detailed with information about the child’s extended family and can be as limited as the child’s date of birth, height and weight. This depends upon the child’s country of birth.
The home study is a written report required by each state for every type of adoption. Its purpose is to satisfy the courts that an infant or child is being placed into a suitable and safe home environment. The home study is conducted by a trained social worker over two or three meetings, and at least one meeting must take place in the home. Home studies can be conducted by your state adoption division or by a private social worker or agency licensed in your state. A typical home study may require information that is very personal, regarding your employment, finances, health and medical history, insurance coverage, and any criminal background. A successful home study typically requires references and the social worker’s recommendation. Each home study must meet the general requirements as prescribed by your state’s adoption laws. The time it takes to complete a home study may vary from state to state and between the organizations conducting the study. On average, the home study process
A home study is compiled by an adoption social worker according to the guidelines of your state. It will include information about your family members and their backgrounds, your finances and your motivation to adopt. We can work with your social worker to inform them of the particular country requirements for your home study. VERY IMPORTANT: CCI is licensed by the State of Florida. Therefore, all home studies of CCI clients must include all aspects required by the State of Florida. We can provide you with a list of Florida requirements prior to your home study so that no amendments are needed after your home study is complete. Note: The home study can be completed before you have contracted with an agency or selected a country, but if you do this you will need to have the home study updated to meet the requirements of the country.
A home study is a report that is written by a licensed social worker in your home state. You will meet with a social worker for an office visit to complete the interview process so that the worker can begin to get to know you better. They will also verify personal documentation (i.e., health insurance, criminal checks, income, employment verification, and references). Your social worker will then conduct a home visit. This process is designed to engage you in a thorough discussion of the issues and challenges of international adoption. Once all the necessary information has been gathered, your social worker will write an 8-10 page report on your family. This report will then be sent to the CIS and to AGCI for submission to the foreign country as part of your adoption dossier.
