An adoption home study is required in all domestic adoptions as it ensures that the adoptee will be raised in a safe and loving home.

While some adoption agencies also serve as licensed home study providers, many times the adoptive family will have to find their own home study provider, who will then assign a licensed social worker to their case.

The social worker will then conduct the following steps to complete the adoption home study, allowing the adoptive family to begin the adoption process.

1. Collecting of Documents

First, the home study provider will want to check the adoptive family’s criminal history. They will require the adoptive family to complete a criminal background check, which includes a state criminal check, an FBI criminal history report, and child abuse and neglect clearances.

A past arrest doesn’t always disqualify an adoptive family’s home study - it depends on what the transgression was. A minor in possession violation from college probably wouldn’t disqualify a family, but a child abuse felony obviously would.

Once the criminal clearances are completed, the home study provider will want to collect health records from the adoptive family’s physician to ensure they are healthy enough to be parents.

The adoptive family will also have to disclose various forms of financial information, such as pay stubs, income tax returns, etc.

Other various documents adoptive families may need to include are birth certificates, marriage licenses, military discharges, copies of drivers licenses, reference letters, proof of insurance documents and passports.

2. In-Home Visit, Home Tour

The adoptive family will turn in their collected documents to their social worker when she visits their home for the first time, but that isn’t the only reason for her presence. The first stage of the in-home visit is the home tour, where the social worker will inspect the home to make sure it is safe for a baby.

Now, many adoptive families believe it is necessary to clean every inch of their home or they will be disqualified. While a tidy home is important, the social worker isn’t going to disqualify a home study because she can’t see her reflection in their kitchen floor.

No, the purpose of the inspection is to make sure certain items are accounted for in the home, such as a fence around a pool, fire escape plans posted on every floor of the home, firearms locked away in a safe, etc.

If there are any issues in the home, the social worker will make note of them and will ask the adoptive family to fix those issues by the next visit, if possible.

3. In-Home Visit, Interviews

The second stage of the in-home visit is the interview process. The social worker will interview the adoptive mother and father together as well as separately, along with any other family members living in the home.

The social worker will ask them basic questions about their lives, as well as their motivations to adopt and their knowledge in being parents. The interviews detail the adoptive parents’ lives, such as their childhood, hobbies, goals, beliefs, values, and more, and they ensure that each family member is fully on-board with the adoption.

The interviews are important because they give the home study provider additional knowledge about the personality traits, past experiences and emotional characteristics of each family member.

4. Autobiography

The autobiography is the written history of each of the adoptive parents. This is either written by each adoptive parent, or is recorded by the social worker during the interviews.

The autobiography is necessary because it gives the home study provider a glimpse into the adoptive family’s lives, which is important because the home study provider is responsible for giving their approval for them to adopt a baby.

5. Home Study Report

The home study report is a compilation of everything the social worker has collected: documentation, home tour results, interview notes, autobiographical statements, and everything else that was learned of the adoptive family. This report is submitted to the home study provider, and they will approve or disapprove the adoption home study.

If any major events happen to the family prior to their adoption, such as a new family member moving into the home or the adoptive family moving to another state, the adoptive family will have to update their home study, repeating many of the steps completed in their original home study.

Finally, after their adoption is completed, they must complete post-placement visits. These are very similar to the in-home visit portion of the home study, where a social worker will visit their home and see how they are adjusting to the baby and how the baby is adjusting to them and their home. Once the post-placement visits are completed, the adoption will be finalized.