Home study for couple adopting in VA?

Question

My boyfriend and I have agreed to a allow a wonderful couple from Virgina to adopt our twins who are due in July. We live in Delware and would like to know since we are not going through an agency and we personally picked the parents (private adoption) is a home study still required before they can adopt the twins? If it is required can you tell me what they will look for in the home study? Will credit be a factor?

Answer 1

my husband and I adopted both of our boys from the same birth parents, so the second adoption was considered private.  You are always required to complete a home study.  The exact requirements vary slightly by state.  While credit is not a factor, the ability to support the twins is important, you can be late on some bills and still be a great parent.  If you are about to lose your house and don't have a place to live, that is a completely different story.  Other items reviewed in ALL home studies include state and federal criminal checks, home inspection to ensure you have a safe place for the babies to live, meetings with a social worker to talk about the adoption.  The most important thing for them now is to get started on the home study if they haven't already.  Mostly it is a LOT of paperwork and the whole process can take up to 3 months.  If you are having twins, you may give birth as early as June, so as I said, if they haven't already started the homestudy, they need to quickly!

Answer 2

They will likely have to have a homestudy done within 30 days of the babies being with the adoptive parents, or before the adoption can be finalized in court.  Because it is a voluntary, private placement, the procedures are a little less strict.  A homestudy does cover all aspects of a person's life, from the parents birth on up.  Of course, their background to check for arrests will be of prime importance.  And credit, or financial stability, will be one of those.  But if the couple can demonstrate they have enough income to adequately raise the children, and are not in deep debt, then that should not be a big issue.  They can check with the home study Social Worker before he/she is contracted with to complete their assessment, to see if they have any particular requirements about credit.  Here is a basic outline for VA homestudies:

Adoption

What kind of child do you want to adopt - age, race, s*x?

What are your reason(s) for adopting right now and how did you come to the decision to adopt?

Discuss infertility if applicable

How have you educated yourself about adoption?

How will you discuss adoption with your child as he or she grows up?

What are your feelings about birth parents?

If you are adopting transracially or transculturally, how will you assure that your child's heritage and culture are respected?

How will you deal with being a minority family?

Parenting

What are the values you want to teach your child?

How will you discipline your child?

If you are already parenting a child, what is your philosophy of limit setting and discipline?

Marriage

If you are married, where and when did you meet, and what attracted you to your partner?

What has kept your relationship strong and healthy?

How do you resolve conflict?

Talk about any challenges you may face as a couple.

Individual Information

Where were you born and where did you grow up?

What are your parents, siblings doing and where do they live?

What is your current relationship with them?

How do they feel about your adoption plan?

What were the values you learned from your family, what was the emotional climate, is there anything you want to do differently with your own children?

Describe your early childhood up through the teen years, including education, social life, activities, and hobbies.

When did you graduate from high school?

What came next in terms of education and career?

Where are you employed now and what do you do?

What are your hobbies and interests?

Have you been married before and what were the circumstances of the divorce?

How do you generally deal with stressful situations in your life?

Talk about any difficult issue you may have faced growing up.

If you have been or are currently working with a mental health counselor, discuss how it has been helpful to you.

If you have been arrested, explain the circumstances.

If you have been involved with drugs or alcohol, explain what interventions you have used to combat the problem.

Other Topics Included in the Home Study Are:

Religious Beliefs

...And how you will raise your child. It is not necessary to have any formal religious affiliation.

Child Care Plans

It is perfectly acceptable to work full-time. It is important, however, to have thought about the most appropriate child care situation for your child.

Financial Situation

You have to demonstrate that you have enough money to raise a child and afford adoption expenses.

The best of luck to all of you!

Answer 3

Hi there,

I am an adoptive mom and thank you for what you are doing for the parents you have chosen. Credit should not be a factor in a home study. We had a private adoption that did not go through an agency, but instead through our county attorney's office here in Arizona. A home study was still required. We had at least two before our son was placed with us and another after he had been in our home a little while. Mostly they look to see what kind of people the prospective parents are. Do they have a steady job? What kind of house do they live in. Will the children have their own room. They'll have to list references and maybe have people write letters on their behalf. But, definitely there will be a home study required for it to continue as a legal adoption. Good luck to you all.

Answer 4

awe, man, I'm jealous!!!

I want your twins!!

Answer 5

Even with a private adoption, the process must still go through the courts, and the courts are likely still going to require a home study.

Answer 6

yes..

Answer 7

Also, most adoptions also require a criminal background check.  The adopted parents are fingerprinted and checked against local, state, and national databases.  This happens when you go through child services.

Answer 8

Yes, a home study is required. Really bad credit might be a factor. In a nutshell the home study is to evaluate whether or not the couple is suitable for parenting and can provide a safe home for the child and enough income to support a family.