Anatomy of a Homestudy

by Pam Connell | More from this Blogger

31 Dec 2006 02:52 AM

An adoption process usually begins with a homestudy. This does not mean, however, that social workers will drop in unannounced and give your home the white glove test. The social worker is required to visit your home at some point to verify its basic safety. He or she will usually want to see the room where it is planned the child will sleep, but you will not be expected to have it prepared yet.

A homestudy includes interviews with both parents (if applicable), both separately and together. A centerpiece of a homestudy is the adoptive parents' "autobiography". This is each parent's answers to essay questions regarding: their upbringing and what they would do differently or the same with their own children; their lifestyle and religious or philosophical beliefs; their relationship (if married), how they met and strengths and weaknesses (both individual and of the relationship), length of time married; their jobs; their beliefs about childrearing discipline; plans for childcare (parental or day care or in-home care); their community; their experience with children and with diverse populations.

Other material in a homestudy includes information provided by references, who are asked to write about the parent/s relationships, lifestyle, health, living situation, stability, interaction with children, etc. Most adoptive parents will need to submit information from a physical exam or a statement from their physician that any conditions they have are not likely to shorten their lifespan or impede their ability to care for a child. It also requires criminal background checks of all adults living in the home. Some information will be collected on the family's financial assets and liabilities. Copies of birth, marriage and divorce certificates will likely be requested along with verification of employment and health insurance (in most states, health insurers are required to cover a child from the date of placement in your home).

A licensed social worker collects all this information in a file and writes a report of her findings from the interviews with the parents, their essays, the references' comments and the documentation submitted.

See related blogs:

Homestudies Really Aren't That Bad

State Adoption: Home Study Interviews and Documents.

State Adoption: Home Safety Inspection.

State Adoption: Approved and Certified Home Study

Learn more about Pam Connell

Pam Connell is a mother of three by both birth and adoption. She has worked in education, child care, social services, ministry and journalism.

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Crickett (272) 31 Dec 2006 09:27 PM

I've had friends say the homestudy interview can include some surprisingly personal questions as well- something to be prepared for.

Pam Connell (2658) 08 Jan 2007 12:06 AM

Thanks Crickett. What surprised us more was how many personal questions the references were asked. In addition to the expected things about our lifestyle, stability, parenting of our current children, etc., our references reported feeling at a loss to answer questions about our communication, decisionmaking, relationship and financial situation. We are private people and I suspect even our family members had some difficulty with these questions. Fortunately no one mentioned a problem with the references, so the social worker must have felt ok with the generic comments made by the references to the effect that our whatever our marital communication style was, it apparently worked. Next time I would definitely warn my references ahead of time to be prepared for some serious questions. It's definitely a lot more involved than a typical employment reference.

Thanks for writing!--Pam