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Adoption Home Study/Family Assessment
Regardless of the type of adoption (private agency, public agency, or intercountry), nearly all families must complete a home study process before adopting a child. There are a few exceptions. For example, stepparents adopting their spouses' children may not need a home study. The primary purpose of a home study is to ensure that each child is placed with a family that can best meet his or her needs. The home study process can help educate prospective adoptive parents about the type of adoption they are pursuing so they can make informed decisions that are best for their family.
This section contains resources about the home study process for different types of adoptions.
Family Assessment and Preparation
National Resource Center for Adoption
In Adoption Competency Curriculum: Trainer's Guide
Includes trainer preparation materials for a module that builds participants' skills in the family identification, preparation and assessment process. This module also addresses how to prepare current foster parents or relatives to transition from fostering to adopting. Also available: Participant's Handbook
SAFE Home Study: The Model Home Study for Adoption and Foster Care
Consortium for Children
Describes the Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE), a home study methodology designed to consistently evaluate families for adoption, foster care licensure, concurrent planning, and relative placement.
Criminal Background Checks for Prospective Foster and Adoptive Parents | |
Series Title: | State Statutes |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 589KB) |
Year Published: | 2011 - 65 pages |
Discusses the requirements set by States for conducting checks of State and Federal criminal records of prospective foster and adoptive parents, as well as any adults residing in the prospective parents? households. Summaries of laws for all States and U.S. territories are included. |
Home Study Requirements for Prospective Parents in Domestic Adoption | |
Series Title: | State Statutes |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway. |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 1,155KB) |
Year Published: | 2012 - 138 pages |
Summarizes State laws and policies for approving prospective adoptive homes. This document describes who must be included in the home study, qualifications for adoptive parents, elements of the home study, exceptions for relatives, requirements for placements across State lines, and more. |
Relative/kinship adoption
Assessing Adult Relatives as Preferred Caregivers in Permanency Planning: A Competency-Based Curriculum (PDF - 312 KB)
National Resource Center for Foster Care and Permanency Planning (2002)
Describes the educational and administrative support social workers need to identify and assess relatives to consider as first placement resources for children.
Public agency adoption (foster care)
Casey Foster Family Assessments
Casey Family Programs
Provides free tools for workers and families to help with the foster family assessment process.
Casey Home Assessment Protocol (CHAP) Technical Manual and User's Manual
Casey Family Programs (2006)
Explains the methodology and structure of the Casey Home Assessment Protocol, a comprehensive system for evaluating the capacity of a family to provide foster care.
Finding a Fit That Will Last a Lifetime (PDF - 374 KB)
AdoptUsKids (2006)
Assists caseworkers with assessment, decision-making, and matching/placement processes.
Foster Parent Adoption | |
Series Title: | Bulletins for Professionals |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 313KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2006 - 9 pages |
This paper discusses issues related to the increasing importance of foster parents as permanency resources for children in foster care. In order to facilitate adoptions by foster parents, professionals should be knowledgeable about the benefits, costs, and practice issues surrounding foster parent adoption. Practice issues include assessment, adoption preparation and postadoption support, and facilitating ongoing connections with birth families. |
Home Study Requirements for Prospective Foster Parents | |
Series Title: | State Statutes |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway. |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 1,050KB) |
Year Published: | 2011 - 174 pages |
Presents State laws and policies for licensing or approving family foster homes, including laws about standards, the approval process, kinship foster care, and interjurisdictional approval. A licensed family is one that is approved by the State to provide care for children and that meets basic standards of safety set by law and regulation. These standards reduce predictable risks to the health, safety, and well-being of children in out-of-home care. The laws presented are current through October 2010. |
Plan, Prepare, and Support to Prevent Disruptions
North American Council on Adoptable Children
Discusses the importance of careful matching, adequate preparation, thoughtful transitions, and abundant family support after adoption for preventing placement disruptions.
Intercountry adoption
Home Study
U.S. Department of State
Outlines the requirements for home studies for Hague Convention and non-Hague Convention countries.
Intercountry Adoption from Hague Convention and Non-Hague Convention Countries | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 211KB) |
Year Published: | 2009 - 10 pages |
The process for intercountry adoptions changed in some significant ways with the U.S. ratification of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption on April 1, 2008. The rules are different for U.S. citizens who adopt a child from a nation that is party to the Hague Convention than for those who adopt from a nation that is not party to the Hague. This factsheet is designed to provide basic comparative information about the two types of intercountry adoption, as well as resources for more detailed information. |
Information on Conducting Home Studies for U.S. Citizens Living Abroad in Incoming/Immigrating Convention Cases
U.S. Department of State
Supplies information on completing home studies for families who live abroad and wish to effect an intercountry adoption.