The Home Study- What does it really involve?

For any adoption, the potential adoptive parents must go through a process called the home study. The home study involves a number of steps to ensure that the parents are prepared to accept a child into their household safely and securely. For many people involved in this process, it can feel very invasive to have someone review their qualifications for placement of a child in their home. The home study is a necessary step in the adoption journey for the state and federal government to understand that whoever is involved can fulfill their parental rights legally. As personal as it may seem, everyone hoping to adopt will have to go through this process without exception. We've listed some of the key milestones for the process to prepare for.  

Documentation that will be requested…

There are specific documents that you will have to provide. Collecting items like criminal history checks, birth certificates, marriage certificates, financial documents, proof of employment and tax returns are all things that you will be expected to provide early on.

Visiting your home…

A representative will be sent to visit your home in order to obtain a better idea of how structured and secure the environment is for the child. They will look for operating smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, medications and sensitive items placed out of reach of a child, and a general background of any additional tenants that reside with you in the home. A best practice for making sure your house is child-friendly would be conducting a Pinterest or Google and search for "child-proof homes." You should find information that will help you prepare for the visitation.

Interview questions you should prepare for…

You may feel uncomfortable with someone putting you on the spot for your interview. There are some personal questions that you will have to answer during the visitation. You will be asked about your support system and what your extended relatives are like. The status of any romantic or spousal relationships you have will also come up. The representative will also ask about the level of education you have and how you are doing in your career.

Even though these questions and visitations seem like an invasion of privacy at times, it is important to know how you would impact a child's life as their guardian. There is a level of protective responsibility you have as a parent. Taking the process in steps, rehearsing, and providing confident and truthful answers will be very important in getting through the adoption home study.