Who can adopt? | Types of Adoption | Adoption Process | Adoption Classes | The Home Study | Costs to Adopt | Next Steps
The home study process can be a source of anxiety for some prospective parents, who may fear they will not be "approved." Please remember, agencies are not looking for perfect parents, rather, they are looking for real parents to parent real children.
Once you have completed all of the required classes, you will begin the home study process (also known as adoption study). A home study is required for every adoption, whether it is a MN Waiting Child, International or a Domestic Adoption. This study is an in-depth overview of your life. The home study process can sometimes be seen as intrusive; however, this process helps the courts to assess if a stable environment exists for a family to receive an adoptive placement. This is for the safety of the child.
The home study will need to be completed by a licensed child-placing agency. The home study process is an educational process designed to help your social worker get to know you and to teach you about adoption and its impact on children and families. This process also prepares you to parent a child who brings experiences, ideas, a history and expectations perhaps different from your own. During this process you will also explore your own motives for adopting, and the role other children in your family, extended family members, neighbors and friends play in your decision to adopt.
A home study is often the lengthiest step when preparing to adopt. This is because it requires criminal background checks, which often take time for state agencies to process, and other items, such as birth certificates, marriage licenses and or a divorce decree, and personal references.
Many adoption agencies ask prospective adoptive parents to write an autobiography. This is, essentially, the story of your life. This statement helps the social worker better understand your family and assists him or her in writing the home study.
While writing about yourself can be intimidating, the exercise is intended to provide information about you to the agency, as well as to help you explore issues related to the adoption. Many agencies have a set of questions to guide you through writing your autobiography.
When you are working with your social worker, a home visit or two is usually required. Home visits primarily serve to ensure your home meets State licensing standards (e.g., working smoke alarms, safe storage of firearms, safe water, adequate space for each child, etc.). The social worker is not there to inspect your housekeeping standards.
If there are other family members in your home, the worker will talk with them as well. If families have adult children living outside the home, they also may be interviewed during this process. These interviews help you develop a relationship with your social worker that will enable him or her to better understand your family and assist you with an appropriate placement.
An update is a required addition to the home study in the event of any major life changes. Basically, any change in the information included in the text of your home study during your adoption process would require you to have a home study update completed. Examples are as follows: a change in your employment, moving into a new home, or a change in household members. The most common reason for a home study update is the annual renewal period. Home studies require an annual update visit to your home.
Requirements and procedures do vary from agency to agency. Once your home study is completed and approved by the agency you are working with, you can begin looking for that special child with the help of your social worker.
