Once prospective adoptive parents apply to
adopt a child (whether they apply to an agency,
an attorney or facilitator, or directly to
the court in an independent adoption), the
laws of all 50 states and the District of
Columbia require that the applicants undergo
a "home study." This process involves education
and preparation as well as the gathering of
information about the prospective parents.
Ideally, the home study helps to build a partnership
between the adoption social worker and the
applicants.
Individuals who seek to adopt may face the
entire process with tender egos and mounting
anxiety that they will not be "approved."
Armed with accurate information, however,
prospective parents can face the home study
experience with confidence and the excitement
that should accompany the prospect of welcoming
a child into the family.
[back to top]
The Nuts and Bolts
of an Adoption Home Study
There is no set format that adoption agencies
use to conduct home studies. They must follow
the general regulations of their State, but
they have the freedom to develop their own
application packet, policies, and procedures
within those regulations. Some agencies will
have prospective parents attend one or several
group orientation sessions or a series of
training classes before they complete an application.
Others will have their social worker start
by meeting with family members individually
and then ask that they attend educational
meetings later on. Usually agency staff members
are glad to answer any questions and to guide
applicants through the process.
The home study itself is a written report
of the findings of the social worker who has
met with the applicants on several occasions,
both individually and together, usually at
the social worker's office. At least one meeting
will occur in the applicant's home. If there
are other people living in the home, they
also will be interviewed by the social worker.
On average the home study process takes 3
to 6 months to complete, but it can take longer
through public agencies or less time through
non-licensed facilitators. The home study
process, the contents of the written home
study report, and the time it will take to
complete vary from State to State and from
agency to agency. In general, the following
information is included in the home study:
- Personal and family background-including
upbringing, siblings, key events and what
was learned from them
- Significant people in the lives of the
applicants
- Marriage and family relationships
- Motivation to adopt
- Expectations for the child
- Feelings about infertility (if this is
an issue)
- Parenting and integration of the child
into the family
- Family environment
- Physical and health history of the applicants
- Education, employment and finances-including
insurance coverage and child care plans
if needed
- References and criminal background clearances
- Summary and social worker's recommendation
The following sections will describe typical
information or activities that will be required
of families who want to adopt.
[back to top]
Autobiographical Statement
The autobiographical statement can be intimidating
but it is essentially the story of your life.
Most agencies have a set of guidelines that
detail the kind of information they require
to assist you in writing the autobiography
and others have the worker assist you directly.
You may be asked to describe who reared you
and their style of child rearing, how many
brothers and sisters you have, and where you
are in the birth order.
Your statement may answer many questions.
Were you close to your parents and siblings
when you were a child, are you close now,
how much contact do you have with them? What
are some successes or failures that you have
had? What educational level have you reached,
do you plan to further your education, are
you happy with your educational attainments,
what do you think about education for a child?
What is your employment status, your employment
history, do you have plans to change employment,
do you like your current job?
If you are married, there will be questions
about your marriage. These may cover how you
met, how long you dated before you married,
how long you have been married, what attracted
you to each other, what your spouse's strengths
and weaknesses are, and the issues on which
you agree and disagree in your marriage. Others
may ask how you make decisions, solve problems,
settle arguments, communicate, express feelings,
and show affection. If you were married before,
there will be questions about that marriage.
If you are single, there will be questions
about your social life and how you anticipate
integrating a child into it as well as questions
about your network of supportive relatives
and friends.
In your statement you will probably describe
your ordinary routines, such as your typical
weekday or weekend, your hobbies and interests,
and your leisure time activities. You may
also describe your plans for child care if
you work outside the home. There will be questions
that cover your experiences with children,
relatives' children, neighbors, volunteer
work, babysitting, teaching, or coaching.
You might be asked some "what if" questions
regarding discipline or other parenting issues.
You will probably be asked about your neighborhood:
How friendly are you with your neighbors?
What kind of people live nearby? Is it a safe
area? Why did you pick this neighborhood?
Are you located conveniently to community
resources, such as medical facilities, recreational
facilities, shopping areas, and religious
facilities? And you will be asked about religion,
your level of religious practice, and what
kind of religious upbringing (if any) you
will give the child.
There may also be a section on specific adoption-related
issues, including questions about why you
want to adopt, what kind of child you feel
you can best parent and why, how you will
tell the child he or she is adopted and when,
what you think of birth parents who make an
adoption plan for their child, how you will
handle relatives' and friends' questions about
adoption, and whether you can bond to a child
not genetically related to you.
You may not know all these answers
right away! A home study is supposed
to help you think through these issues. Hopefully,
the social worker guiding you through the
home study process will offer advice on describing
these various topics.
You will be asked to provide a copy of your
birth certificate, your marriage license or
certificate, and your divorce decree, if applicable.
[back to top]
Health Statements
Most agencies require a physical exam of
prospective adoptive parents, or at least
a current tuberculosis test (X-ray or scratch
test). Some agencies that only place infants
with infertile couples require that the physician
verify the infertility. Others just want to
know that you are essentially healthy, have
a normal life expectancy, and are able to
physically and emotionally handle the care
of a child. If you have a medical condition,
but are under a doctor's care and it is under
control (for instance, high blood pressure
or diabetes that is controlled by diet and
medication), you can probably still be approved
as an adoptive family. A serious health problem
that affects life expectancy may prevent approval.
[back to top]
Income Statement
Usually you are asked to verify your income
by providing a copy of your paycheck stub(s),
a copy of a W-4 form, or an income tax form
(1040 or 1040 EZ). You will be asked about
your savings, insurance policies, and other
investments and debts, including your monthly
mortgage or rent payment, car and charge account
payments, etc. This helps determine your general
financial stability. You do not have to be
rich to adopt; you just have to show that
you can manages your finances responsibly
and adequately.
[back to top]
Child Abuse and Criminal
Clearances
Many States require by law that criminal
record and child abuse record clearances be
conducted on all adoptive and foster parent
applicants. This usually involves filling
out a form with your name (in a woman's case,
it would include her maiden name and former
married names, if applicable), date of birth,
and Social Security number; possibly getting
the form notarized; and sending it to the
State child welfare and police agencies for
clearance. In some States it might involve
being finger printed. The authorities will
check to see if you have a child abuse or
criminal charge on file.
Misdemeanors committed long ago for which
there is a believable explanation (for example,
"I was young and foolish and did what the
guys expected me to...") usually are not held
against you. A felony conviction, or any charge
involving children or illegal substances,
would most likely not be tolerated.
[back to top]
References
The agency will probably ask you for the
names, addresses, and telephone numbers of
three or four individuals to serve as references
for you. These might be close personal friends,
an employer, a former teacher, a co-worker,
a neighbor, or your pastor. The social worker
will either write a letter to or talk to your
references on the telephone, asking questions
about you that you have already answered yourself.
These would address such areas as your experience
with children, the stability of your marriage,
if applicable, and your motivation to adopt.
References are generally used to get a complete
picture of a family's application and an idea
of their support network. Approval would rarely
be denied on the grounds of one negative reference
alone. However, if it were one of several
negative factors, such as ill health, a questionable
criminal record, and a poor work history,
or if several of the references were negative,
the agency may not approve the application.
You should pick as references people who
know you the best. If possible, they should
be individuals who have known you for several
years, who have seen you in various kinds
of situations, who have visited in your home
and know of your interest in children, and
who are also able to comment on your lifestyle.
For instance, they should know what some of
your hobbies and interests are. These kinds
of references are the most useful and compelling
to the social worker completing the home study.
[back to top]
Interviews
There will probably be several interviews,
perhaps one or two in the agency office and
at least one in your home. You will discuss
the topics addressed in your autobiographical
statement, and the social worker will ask
any questions necessary to clarify what you
have written. In the case of couples, some
agency workers conduct all the interviews
jointly, with husband and wife together. Others
will conduct both joint and individual interviews.
An important point: the worker is not visiting
your home to conduct a white glove inspection!
He or she simply needs to verify that the
child will be entering into a safe and healthy
environment and whether you have thought ahead
as to how you are going to accommodate the
new family member. There may be a requirement
that you have a working smoke alarm (which
is a good idea anyway) and an evacuation plan
in case of an emergency. The latter is not
something many people have, so you might want
to develop one ahead of time. The worker may
want to see the child's bedroom and all the
other areas of the house or apartment, including
the basement or back yard.
Some tips for the home visit: Do not clean
the whole place from top to bottom, unless
that is the level of housekeeping you always
maintain. A certain level of cleanliness is
necessary, but "lived-in" family clutter is
expected. Most social workers would worry
that people living in a "picture perfect"
home would have a difficult time adjusting
to the clutter that a child brings to a household.
Instead use this visit as one more time to
build on the open and honest relationship
you are developing with the worker.
It is natural to be nervous! But most often
the worker wants to work with you and approve
you if you have gotten to this point of the
home study. You are not expected to reveal
every intimate detail of your life, nor are
you expected to be perfect! In fact, perfection
would probably raise eyebrows. It is much
more important to be honest, be yourself,
and present a true picture of your family
history and family functioning. Social workers
know that everyone is a combination of strengths
and weaknesses which makes each person unique.
If you had a difficult childhood, experienced
financial problems, quit a job in anger, or
have some other "skeleton" in your closet
that you think might disqualify you, chances
are, if you discuss it openly with the social
worker, it will not present a problem.
It would not be wise to be deceptive or dishonest
or for the documents collected in the home
study to expose an inconsistency in what you
have presented about your family. This would
betray the social worker's trust, which would
harm your chances and may even cause the termination
of your home study.
[back to top]
If You Already Have
Children
If you already have children, either birth
children, adopted children, or both, they
will be included in the home study in some
way. Older children may be invited to one
or more of the educational sessions. They
might also be asked to write a statement describing
their feelings and preferences about having
a new brother or sister. Younger children
might be asked to draw a picture showing their
thoughts on the subject. Children of all ages
will probably be met and/or interviewed by
the social worker at least once.
The social worker may ask the children (and
you too) how they do in school, what their
interests and hobbies are, what their friends
are like, and how they get rewarded or disciplined
for good or not-so-good behavior. But the
emphasis will more likely be on how they see
a new child fitting into the family and whether
they are prepared to share you with a new
sibling. A new sibling means sharing time,
attention, television channel selection, the
bathroom, the prized seat at the kitchen table,
and the many other elements of family life
on a daily basis.
Children's input is usually quite important
in the overall assessment of a family's readiness
to adopt a child. Their feelings need to be
considered, and their reaction to the adoption
needs to be generally positive. The social
worker will want to make sure that a newly
adopted child will be wanted and loved by
everyone in the family from the start.
[back to top]
Some End Notes
Flexibility and a sense of humor are vital
characteristics when raising children and
they can come in handy during the home study
as well. For instance, if you have the flexibility
in your job and are willing to take off an
hour early to meet with the social worker
or to modify your schedule in some other way
to make the meeting arrangements flow smoothly,
that effort will be appreciated by the worker.
As a parent to be, many more of these accommodations
are in your future; therefore the social worker
often believes you might as well start getting
used to them!
The duration of the home study will vary
from agency to agency, depending on various
factors, such as how many social workers are
assigned to conduct home studies, what other
duties they have, and how many other people
applied to the agency at the same time as
you. You can do a lot to expedite the process
by filling out your paper work, scheduling
your medical appointments, and gathering the
required documents.
The cost of the home study depends on which
kind of agency or practitioner is conducting
the study. A public agency (often your local
Department of Social Services) does not usually
charge a fee for a home study, since it is
supported by government funds. However, occasionally
a public agency may charge a modest home study
fee-once you adopt one of the agency's children,
you can usually obtain a reimbursement for
this fee.
A private agency might charge from $1,000
to $2,500 for the home study, although it
may charge no fees or charge lesser fees for
home studies for children with special needs.
For a non-special-needs child, the fee may
cover an application fee and preplacement
services, but be sure to confirm this. For
locating a specific child and providing follow-up
or postplacement services, you will usually
be charged a separate fee. These services
could possibly be performed by a second agency.
Fees for these additional services could range
from $2,500 to $25,000. Many agencies allow
the fees to be paid in installments. Again,
be sure to discuss this thoroughly so that
there are no misunderstandings.
A certified social worker in private practice
often conducts home studies for independent
adoptions. Fees for these are probably in
the same range as those for private agencies.
Independent adoptions are not legal in all
States.
Remember, even though an adoption home study
may seem invasive or lengthy, it is conducted
to prepare you for adoption and help you decide
whether adoption is really for you. The regulations
serve to protect the best interest of the
child and to ensure he or she is placed in
a loving, caring, healthy, and safe environment.
Once you accept that premise, it often becomes
a lot easier to complete what is required
of you. After all, the reward of withstanding
a short period of inconvenience is great:
many years of happiness and fulfillment raising
a child to maturity.
Good luck to you in your pursuit of a child
through adoption and with your adoption home
study. With perseverance and a good attitude,
you will be able to team with the adoption
social worker to make this a valuable learning
experience-one which will help you to do the
best possible job in parenting the child who
will join your family. After all, the adoption
worker wants you to accomplish your goal of
adopting, especially if one more child gets
a loving, permanent, safe family.
For a free list of adoption resources in
your State, vist Adotion
Professionals.com, contact the National
Adoption Information Clearinghouse or visit
the NAIC web site at http://www.childwelfare.gov/nfcad/
for state-specific lists of public and private
adoption agencies as well as adoptive parent
support groups in your state.
Revised 1999 by NAIC
Internet links added by Adoptions.com
2000 - 2003. Updated 2008
