The Adoption Home Study
By Debra G. Smith, ACSW, Director
Almost any adoption, whether it is a public
agency adoption, a private agency adoption, or an independent
adoption arranged directly with the court, requires a pre-adoptive
placement inquiry, usually referred to as an Adoption Home
Study.
Individuals seeking to adopt often face
that first visit by the home study social worker with tender
egos and mounting anxiety. Hopefully, though, this article
can help you calm your fears and allay your anxiety.
The Nuts & Bolts
of the Home Study
There is no set format that adoption agencies use to conduct their 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 you
attend one or several group orientation sessions before you are invited
to complete an application.
Autobiographical Statement
 The autobiographical statement is essentially the story of your life.
There will probably be questions about your marriage (if you are married).
These questions 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.
There may also be a section on specific
adoption-related issues, including questions regarding your
reasons for adopting, what kind of child you feel you can
best parent and why, how and when you will tell the child
he is adopted, your thoughts on birth parents who choose
adoption for their children, how you will handle questions
from relatives and friends, your feelings on bonding with
a child who is not genetically related to you.
You may not know the answers to these
questions right away, but
hopefully, they worker guiding you through the home study process, will
offer advice for these various topics.
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 that you are infertile. It is up to you to employ
the services of an adoption professional that is willing to work with
your particular set of circumstances. A serious health problem that
affects life expectancy may prevent approval.
Child Abuse and Criminal
Clearances
Many States are requiring that criminal records and child abuse record
clearances be conducted on all adoptive parent applicants. This usually
involves filling out a form with your name, 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 fingerprinted. 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.
Income Statement
Usually you are asked to verify your income by providing a copy of your
paycheck stubs, a copy of a W-4 form, or an income tax form (1040 or
1040 EZ).
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 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 a negative reference alone.
Interviews
There will probably be several interviews, perhaps one or two in the
agency office and at least one in your home.
An important note: the worker is not visiting
your home to conduct a white-glove inspection! He or she
simply needs to see if the child will be entering into a
safe and healthy environment and whether you have thought
ahead as to how you will 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 will want to see the child’s bedroom and
all the other areas of the house or apartment, including
the basement or backyard.
Some Tips for the
Home Visit
Do offer the worker a soft drink or a cup of coffee. That shows you are
nurturing. Do have family photos around. That shows you are family oriented.
It is natural to be nervous! But most
often the worker wants to work with you and approve you if
you have gotten to the point of the home study. It would
not be wise to be deceptive or dishonest, or for the documents
to 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.
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.
End Notes
Flexibility and a sense of humor are desperately needed characteristics
when raising children in this day and age. It would be a good idea
for you to demonstrate these in some way during the home study process.
For instance, if you are willing to take off an hour early from your
job to meet with the social worker or to modify your schedule in some
way to make the meeting arrangements flow smoothly, the effort will
not go unnoticed. As a parent, many more of these accommodations are
in your future; therefore the social worker often believes you might
as well start getting used to them! A smile, a firm handshake, a joke,
and a generally warm and friendly demeanor among your family and with
the worker will go a long way.
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 applies
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 your documents.
 A home study can take one to six months
to complete, especially if delays arise. Illness, vacation,
or waiting for documentation to arrive from another state
can prolong the home study. An average of two to three months
is usual, not counting the time allotted to the group meetings.
The cost of the home study depends on
which kind of agency or practitioner is conducting the study.
A certified social worker in private practice often conducts
home studies for independent adoptions. Fees
for theses are probably in the same range as those for private
agencies.
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
interests 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.
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