What is an adoption home study?  How do I get one?

An adoption home study (or family profile) is a written report by a social worker who has met with the applicants on several occasions, both individually and together (if a couple). Completing the home study or family profile involves education, preparation, mutual assessment, and gathering of information about the prospective adoptive parents. The mutual assessment process is designed to help families decide if adoption is right for them, as well as to help families understand the type of child whose needs they could meet. This process can take from 2 to 10 months, depending on agency waiting lists and training requirements. 

As prospective adoptive parents, you must complete a home study before adopting, regardless of what kind of adoption you choose to pursue. A home study for domestic adoption can be done by the adoption agency with which you choose to work, or by an independent licensed social worker if this is allowed under your State's laws or regulations (adoptions are governed by State laws and regulations in the United States). To learn more, you may wish to read  Child Welfare Information Gateway’s online factsheet, The Adoption Home Study Process,” at http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_homstu.cfm. Child Welfare Information Gateway, a service of the Children’s Bureau, has comprehensive information regarding all aspects of adoption on its website at http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/index.cfm.  

If you hope to adopt a child from another country, home study requires may vary depending on the country from which you hope to adopt.  Many countries have specific requirements for home studies. Requirements also vary depending on whether the country from which you plan to adopt is party to the Hague Convention on Intercountry adoption (an international treaty designed to protect the best interests of all parties in adoption).

• If you plan to adopt a child from a Hague country, you must have your home study completed or approved by an accredited adoption service provider. You will need to specify the country you plan to adopt from before completing the home study.  Specific requirements for home studies are outlined in the regulations for the Hague. Families adopting children from Hague countries also are required to participate in 10 hours of training, separate from the home study itself.

• If you plan to adopt a child from a country that is not party to the Hague, the home study requirements will vary. You may have your home study conducted by an adoption provider in your State and can complete the home study before specifying which country you wish to adopt a child from.

Since the home study requirements for Hague countries may be more stringent than non-Hague countries, having a home study conducted by an accredited adoption service provider may ensure your home study is conducted appropriately and may be used to adopt a child from Hague and non-Hague countries.

To learn more, you may wish to read Child Welfare Information Gateway’s online factsheet, The Adoption Home Study Process, at http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_homstu.cfm. Child Welfare Information Gateway, a service of the Children’s Bureau, has comprehensive information regarding all aspects of adoption on its website at http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/index.cfm.  

To learn more about the specific requirements for Intercountry adoption and the Hague convention, you may wish to visit the Intercountry Adoption section of Child Welfare Information Gateway at http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/types/intercountry/.