What is an “Adoption Home Study”
Many hear ‘Home Study’ and get nervous about what it could mean or what it entails, so to hear that you must obtain an updated home study every year or so can be even more nail-biting. An adoption home study is a next phase in the adoption process after families have completed and passed all required backgrounds, training, and applications needed to adopt. A home study process allows agencies to ensure the child is placed into a family that is adopting for the sake of wanting an adoption, not just wanting a baby to call theirs. Adoption is in no way a clean slate for a child. Adoptive families have to be prepared for all that comes with it.
The Home study typically consists of looking into:
- family and parenting history
- finances and occupation
- social lives and hobbies
- household members and space
- daily routines
- recommendations, etc.
It isn’t just a social worker coming into your home to make sure it’s dust free or that your garage is free of moving boxes and old DVDs. That is unrealistic. The point of it all is to ensure that the child is being placed into a loving home with a loving family who’s equipped, prepared, and educated to care for and raise an infant born into traumatic circumstances.
What is an updated Home Study, and Why is it needed?
An updated home study schedule varies from state to state but is a necessary step for adoptive families that may still be awaiting an adoption placement. The primary reason is to ensure that there have been no significant changes to the adoptive parent applicant(s) since the original approval. In most cases, this involves making sure they have continued financial stability, that their health is such that they can adequately care for a child, that their home continues to have no safety or structural hazards, etc. It will also warrant prospective adoptive parents having no new criminal or child abuse accounts or anything that could overall jeopardize the wellbeing of a child placed for adoption.
As adoption agencies, we are trusted by expecting parents to provide profiles of the absolute best for their children. In general, we continue to assess both individuals as well as couples, that their family relationships remain supportive and stable. For married couples and partners, their relationship continues to be healthy and robust, and both members of the pair remain equally committed to adopting a child.
Failing to update your home study may lead to your process being placed on hold. When adoption agencies show expecting parents’ profiles to potential families, they’d only show profiles of families who are readily available to be placed if chosen. Although home studies can be tedious, it is undoubtedly fundamental that they’re valid to your current situation.
Some question why they need to be updated so often, and the answer is simple. Have you ever heard the saying, “Your life can change in a day?” Well, imagine how much your life could change in a month or twelve? Just as you’d want the portfolio information to be up to date when choosing a contractor to renovate your kitchen or to explore all of the features of that car you’ve been looking to purchase, the same goes for profile showings. These expectant parents are making life-changing decisions when flipping through that profile book. As bad as prospective parents want to be placed, we owe it to expecting parents to give as much accurate and up-to-date information about the family with which they’re placing their children.
The bright side is that updated home studies don’t take nearly as long as the first time. Updates are much easier and quicker. This is because the likelihood of everything in your life changing in one year (work, routines, health, etc.) is slim. But, one or two things changing are not that far-fetched.
What are the regulations for Updated Home Study?
The most common items needed for a home study update include updated financial information, supporting documents, criminal and child abuse clearances, updated medical examinations, and a visit to their home. The schedule for an update varies from state to state, but in most states, like New Jersey, it needs to be done annually. In Virginia, regulations state a check-in and report must be completed every 6 months. The cost to update your home study will vary case by case but still is less intimidating to complete.
The best way to ensure your adoption process stays on track is by staying ahead of the curve with things like updating the home study. For more information on the home study process, the do’s and dont’s, paperwork organization tips, and international home study services, visit our website.
To dive deeper into regulations, Click Here for a published article by the USCIS.
