The homestudy
The basics
After determining from your application that you meet any basic requirements, your agency will arrange for your "homestudy." The homestudy is the heart of the adoption process. A homestudy is a series of meetings between a licensed social worker and prospective adoptive parents. Both public and private agencies will assign you a social worker to conduct your homestudy. Some states allow licensed private social workers to do homestudies. Check with your State Adoption Specialist for more information on what is allowable under your state laws.
During the homestudy, the social worker interviews the prospective parent or parents and pays at least one visit to the prospective family's home. Some agencies interview couples both individually and jointly. Others conduct group homestudies with several families at one time, including single and married applicants. If the family already includes children, they may be included in interviews with their parents. Most agencies also ask applicants for written information about themselves and their life experiences and ask for copies of certain documents, such as birth certificates and marriage licenses.
The homestudy gives parents an opportunity to learn more about adoption and parenting and helps families prepare for adoption. It also is a time for parents to explore what type of special needs they can accept. The homestudy enables the social worker to verify that the prospective parents can successfully nurture and rear a child. Topics for discussion during a homestudy might include whether adoption is the right choice for the particular family, parenting skills, ways to introduce extended family to adoption, and ways to help a child adjust to his or her new family. Home visits help the social worker determine if the environment will be a safe and nurturing home for a child.
Keep in mind that the homestudy is not a "white glove" test but rather a chance to decide if adoption is right for you and whether you will be able to provide a child with the love, attention, time, and care that the child needs and deserves. Most families who have adopted say the homestudy process was beneficial. It allowed them to consider their individual feelings about adoption, to explore their readiness for a child and for the special challenges of parenting a child with special needs.
Many states offer extensive training to help prospective adoptive families to better understand and meet their children's unique needs. During the homestudy, adoptive parents can also be offered some post-adoption training and support services. Check with your local public agency to find out if such training is available.
The information on this page is used with the permission of the Child Welfare Information Gateway. http://www.childwelfare.gov