What is involved in an adoption 'home study'?

Question

I honestly don't know.

I hear about all the paperwork, but how are APs evaluated/investigated before an adoption is approved?

When I asked my amother, she claims not to remember, but I'm sure it's changed from the '60s anyway.

Answer 1

Why do you care?  Wouldn't it be more beneficial for you to ask how to find a clean abortion clinic, since you seem to value murder over adoption?  It's not like you'll ever open your home, so it shouldn't matter to you.  

However, from what I remember, the social worker comes in and checks things out.  My parent's home study was done in the early 80's, so I'm sure things have changed.  I only remember the social worker comming in, and asking to be shown around the house.  Then she asked my parents alot of questions and then asked ME alot of question (I was only 3 at the time.)  

I agree that a home study does not guarantee parents will be great, but it does give a  margin of safety to the process.  No one can be taking in essential slaves and have them sleeping 8 to a room or something like that.  However, I believe that the state (and agencies - espescially those that focus on non-infant adoption) really need to work with adoptive families more AFTER the adoption has been made.  My parents had to attend classes before the adoption (even though they already had one kid) and go through the home study, and there were a couple of follow up visits, but then that was it.  They were just sorta tossed to the wind!  

I think this lack of support allowed the few bad things that happened around my brothers adoption to occur.  Don't get me wrong, my brothers' were MUCH better off being adopted by my family than they would have been languishing in "the system" - but life was not perfect.  Children adopted after infancy are usually "special" in some way, even if it's only fromt he emotional trauma of being an "unwanted" child for so long and moving from foster home to foster home.  Expecting all those things to vanish just because they're placed in a "forever family" is ridiculous.  In fact, the state knows it's not a realistic expectation because they talk about how the perspective adoptive parents must be ready to continue to give extra support to the child in this or that way.  

However, the state does little to support the adoptive parents in doing what needs to be done for the child.  I'm not talking about monetary support, I'm talking abour resources and advice.  It is much easier to THINK you're ready to deal with certain needs in a child, to have plans for dealing with them, to be "ready" to deal with it than it is to actually DO the thing.  Knowing you're adopting a child with anger management issues, and knowing all the ways of coping with the outbursts can never ready any parent from the emotional exaustion that such things can bring.  The same goes for a physcially handicapped child or any issue in a child.  Dealing with these things is physically and emotionally draining.  

When "special" children are born to parents, they grow into their issues.  The parents have much longer to develop the necessary resources and to be accustomed to their childs needs.  In adoption it's pretty much flipping a switch.  The state needs to do a better job of helping the whole family cope with the new situations.  Even if all this means is checking in on the family one evening a month (or even one evening every six months) to ask how things are going and provide referals to resources, it should be done.  The families need to know they're not alone.  I believe alot of the "abuse" that is seen in adoptive families (or even the horrific RETURNING of children) is because the families feel suddenly stranded and unable to cope.  

I guess I really have written alot, but I do believe in "ongoing" home support, not just one home study.  Adoption can be wonderful, but it can't happen over night.  If a child needs 9 months to gestate, why does the state thing adoptions are magic?

Answer 2

Hey, Sunny - I found this on the US Department of Child Welfare website . . .

Training

Many agencies require trainings for prospective adoptive parents prior to or during the home study process. These trainings help prospective parents better understand the needs of children waiting for families and help families decide what type of child or children they could parent most effectively.

Interviews

You will probably be interviewed several times by the social worker. These interviews help you develop a relationship with your social worker that will enable him or her to better understand your family and assist you with an appropriate placement. You will discuss the topics addressed in the home study report (see below). You will likely be asked to explain how you handle stress and past experiences of crisis or loss. In the case of couples, some agency workers conduct all of the interviews jointly, with both prospective parents together. Others will conduct both joint and individual interviews. If families have adult children living outside the home, they also may be interviewed during this process.

Home Visit

Home visits primarily serve to ensure your home meets State licensing standards (e.g., working smoke alarms, safe storage of firearms, safe water, adequate space for each child, etc.). Some States require an inspection from the local health and fire departments in addition to the visit by the social worker. The agency will generally require the worker to see all areas of the house or apartment, including where the children will sleep, the basement, and the back yard. He or she will be looking for how you plan to accommodate a new family member (or members, if you are planning to adopt a sibling group). Social workers are not typically inspecting your housekeeping standards. A certain level of order is necessary, but some family clutter is expected. Some agencies would worry that people living in a "picture perfect" home would have a difficult time adjusting to the clutter a child brings to a household.

Health Statements

Most agencies require prospective adoptive parents to have some form of physical exam. Some agencies have specific requirements; for example, agencies that only place infants with infertile couples may require a physician to confirm the infertility. Other agencies just want to know the prospective parents are essentially healthy, have a normal life expectancy, and are physically and mentally able to handle the care of a child.

If you have a medical condition that is under control (for instance, high blood pressure or diabetes that is controlled by diet and medication), you may still be approved as an adoptive family. A serious health problem that affects life expectancy may prevent approval. If your family has sought counseling or treatment for a mental health condition in the past, you may be asked to provide reports from those visits. Many agencies view seeking help as a sign of strength; the fact that your family obtained such help should not, in and of itself, preclude you from adopting. However, each family's situation is unique, so check with the agencies or social workers you are considering if you have concerns.

Income Statements

You do not have to be rich to adopt; you just have to show you can manage your finances responsibly and adequately. (Some countries may have specific income requirements for intercountry adoption.) Usually, prospective parents are asked to verify their income by providing copies of paycheck stubs, W-4 forms, or income tax forms. Many agencies also ask about savings, insurance policies (including health coverage for the adopted child), and other investments and debts.

Background Checks

Most States require criminal and child abuse record clearances for all adoptive and foster parent applicants. In many States, local, State, and Federal clearances are required. While the vast majority of prospective adoptive parents have no criminal or child abuse history, it is important for children's safety to identify those few families who might put children at risk.

Public and private agencies need to comply with State laws and policies regarding how the findings of background checks affect eligibility for adoptive parents. However, do not hesitate to talk to agencies and social workers you are considering about specific situations that might disqualify you from adopting. Agencies are looking not just at your past experiences, but at what you've learned from them and how you would use that knowledge in parenting a child. Some agencies in some States may be able to work with your family, depending on the charge and its resolution. If the social worker feels you are being deceptive or dishonest, however, or if the documents collected during the home study process expose inconsistencies, the social worker may have difficulty trusting you.

Autobiographical Statement

Many adoption agencies ask prospective adoptive parents to write an autobiographical statement. This is, essentially, the story of your life. This statement helps the social worker better understand your family and assists him or her in writing the home study report (see below). If you are working with an agency that practices openness in adoption, you also may be asked to write a letter or create an album or scrapbook about your family to be shared with expectant birth parents to help them choose a family for their child.

While writing about yourself can be intimidating, the exercise is intended to provide information about you to the agency, as well as to help you explore issues related to the adoption. Some agencies have workers to assist you with the writing. Most have a set of questions to guide you through writing your autobiography.

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. References help the social worker form a more complete picture of your family and support network.

If possible, references should be individuals who have known you for several years, who have observed you in many situations, and who have visited your home and know of your interest in and involvement with children. Most agencies require that references be people unrelated to you. Good choices might include close friends, an employer, a former teacher, a co-worker, a neighbor, or your pastor, rabbi, or leader of your faith community.

Approval would rarely be denied on the grounds of one negative reference alone. However, if it were one of several negative factors, or if several of the references were negative, the agency might be unable to approve the adoption.

The Home Study Report

Typically, the above steps culminate in the writing of a home study report that reflects the social worker's findings. Home study reports often are used to "introduce" your family to other agencies or adoption exchanges (services that list children waiting for families) to assist in matching your family with a waiting child.

In general, home study reports include the above-mentioned health and income statements, background checks, and references, as well as the following types of information:

Family background. Descriptions of the applicants' childhoods, how they were parented, past and current relationships with parents and siblings, key events and losses, and what was learned from them.

Education/employment. Applicants' current educational level, satisfaction with their educational attainments, and any plans to further their education, as well as their employment status, history, plans, and satisfaction with their current jobs.

Relationships. If applicants are a couple, the report may cover their history together as well as their current relationship (e.g., how they make decisions, solve problems, communicate, show affection, etc.). If applicants are single, there will be information about their social life and how they anticipate integrating a child into it, as well as information about their network of relatives and friends.

Daily life. Routines, such as a typical weekday or weekend, plans for child care (if applicants work outside the home), hobbies, and interests.

Parenting. Applicants' past experiences with children (e.g., their own, relatives' children, neighbors, volunteer work, babysitting, teaching, or coaching), in addition to their plans regarding discipline and other parenting issues.

Neighborhood. Descriptions of the applicants' neighborhood, including safety and proximity to community resources.

Religion. Information about the applicants' religion, level of religious practice, and what kind of religious upbringing (if any) they plan to provide for the child.

Feelings about/readiness for adoption. There may be a section on specific adoption-related issues, including why the applicants want to adopt, feelings about infertility (if this is an issue), what kind of child they might best parent and why, and how they plan to talk to their children about adoption-related issues. If the agency practices openness, there may be information about how the applicants feel about birth families and how much openness with the birth family might work best. For more information, read Information Gateway's Openness in Adoption: A Fact Sheet for Families.

Approval/recommendation. The home study report will conclude with a summary and the social worker's recommendation. This often includes the age range and number of children for which the family is recommended.

Applicants also will be asked to provide copies of birth certificates, marriage licenses or certificates, and divorce decrees, if applicable. Some agencies allow prospective parents to read the home study report about themselves; others do not. You may want to ask the agency about the confidentiality of the home study report and how extensively your information will be shared. Agency policies vary greatly, depending on the type of agency and type of adoption. In many cases, the information will be shared with other agencies to help in matching the most appropriate child with your family. In some cases, the information may also be shared with birth parents or others.

. . . That was all just copy and paste, straight from the website. I haven't personally gone through any of the process yet, but I hope that gives you some idea of what a home study consists of.  

Peace!

Answer 3

In a home study, they will evaluate your home for hazards.  They will also ask you many many questions.  They want to know about your childhood, how you were disciplined, your relationships, past and current, your s*x life, your income, you will also have a background check.  There are other things involved, but that is basically the gist of it.  Be ready, because you will feel completely violated, but don't be offended, they are just keeping the safety of the children as their first priority.

Answer 4

I certainly hope it has changed since the 70's. I asked my dad and he didn't remember a home study. Some social worker came over twice for coffee.... apparently that was a 70's style home study. Guess I lucked out in the sense that I wasn't tortured beyond the norm.

Oh and ROTFLMFAO @ two hours being lengthy. I squeezed my kid out and I still asked for more than two hours with someone in my home. I highly suggest that ALL new parents look into having an early childhood development specialist educate them about their new child's developmental needs and how to stimulate them.

Answer 5

Wow.  They spend a whole two hours making sure you'll be a good parent and that your home will be fit and safe?

Amazing!!!  Talk about rigorous!!!  Whew I feel so much better about the adoption process now.

(Congrats Sunny...) ;)

Answer 6

Hi!  We've had 2 home studies. Relax!  They are very nerve racking, but you will make it thru.  The do go thru your home to make sure that it is safe.  Make sure that you have plenty of smoke detectors and that you have a fire extinguisher.  They will look everywhere including your bathtub to make sure that you have soap and shampoo for the child.  You will have to have copies of your financial records and we had to have a copy of our marriage licsense.  They will have to have reference letters from a few of your friends, family, and possibly your pastor if you have one.  You will know when they are coming.  THey will set up an appt.  Then they may possibly stop by unannounced.  Both of our adoptions were private adoptions, and they both went pretty smooth.  My advice to you is just not to get too worked up.  It will be just fine!

Answer 7

The case worker came to our house and visited with us and with our other children.  We were asked a lot of questions about how adoption would affect our lives and how we each felt about a new addition.  We also had to prove that we could financially take care of another child.  Basically that was about it.  I am sure there would be more like finger prints and such but we were alreadyy foster parents and had alread done all of that.

Answer 8

They come in and look at your house, go through your cabinets,check out safety violations. They sit with you and have an interview, where they ask alot of questions, generally to get a good idea of what kind of people you are. Generally it takes a couple of hours. It's a lengthy process. But congrats!

http://www.worldpartnersadoption.org/hom...

Answer 9

The person who wrote that it takes about two hours is quite mistaken.

We were required to take a class called MAPP which lasted an entire summer. We had homework and there were roleplaying tasks during class that involved fostering abused children and other things. There were mounds and mounds of paperwork that included financial statements -- we even had to provide xeroxed copies of several years worth of tax returns. We had to have letters of reference from 4 people and we also had to have a letter from someone close to us stating that if something should happen to us, that person would take in our child. Our letter was provided by my sister, who took the matter very seriously. When I asked if she'd take over the parenting of our child if my husband and I died, she said that she would but she had to speak to her husband first because it wasn't solely her decision. I respected that and, fortunately, my brother-in-law agreed with my sister.

We had to be fingerprinted and have background checks through the Department of Justice and we had to have our home inspected by foster care. We thoroughly baby-proofed our home prior to inspection (put child safety locks on all cupboards, stored cleaning fluids up high, put in an extra smoke detector, put plastic plugs in all electrical outlets, etc.). We were interviewed as a couple and individually by our social worker and once we were matched with a child, we were interviewed by *his* social worker. We were required to take CPR and First Aid classes through the Red Cross.

This seems like a nice, neat little list, but it took months and months of preparation before we could even be put on a list for a child. I understand why potential adoptive parents are screened this way -- in fact, our social worker told us during MAPP that many people are 'put off' by all of the requirements and our MAPP class would probably decrease by half before it was over...and she was right -- but it's too bad that it has to be that way. I don't advocate handing over a child to people who abuse children, etc., but maybe ALL parents, not just potential adoptive parents, should be screened in some way before being allowed to take a child home from the hospital.

Oh, and as for follow up after we brought our son home: we had weekly visits from our son's social worker, usually at our house, in addition to the times she saw him when he visited his birth mother. (Her rights were terminated 3 months after we brought him home.) We were in regular contact with our social worker and we were even randomly chosen by foster care to have our home reinspected! So there *is* follow up. Again, too bad someone isn't following up with ALL parents, not just adoptive ones.

Answer 10

Good question.  Each state has its own requirements and any homestudy agency in the state is required to meet at least those, but each homestudy agency is different.  I've heard of some easy ones where the agency only does the minimum the state requires and I've seen some strenuous ones.  I'll share what my own homestudy required.  It required a criminal background check and a child abuse and neglect registry check.  We did 4 hours of interviewing over two different meetings and my husband and I talked with our social worker each individually and together.  I thought the interviewing was very thorough.  It covered relationships, family, religion, experience with children, readiness for adoption, parenting philosophy, etc.  We had  a safety inspection of our home, including by the fire department, with a posted fire escape plan.  We had  a doctor check-up and hadour doctor attest to our mental and physical health.  We also had a 12 hour international adoption class, over 2 different days, but that was because we adopted intenationally and isn't a state requirement.  We also had a required reading list for international adoption.  I'm sure there are some little things I'm forgetting, but that is most.  After all of that, our social worker wrote the report and  sent a rough draft to our adoption agency who looked it over to see if it covered all of the information of the foreign government requires, because the foreign government often requires different information than the state in which you live, and an internation homestudy has to meet both requirements.

Our international program required 2 post-placement visits as well, one at 3 months and one at 1 year.

edited to add:  forgot a couple of major ones:  financial discolure form, and 4 references.  

Also, I agree with the poster who said that more should be required AFTER placement.