An important piece of the adoption journey is your home study. What exactly is a home study, and how do you choose the right home study provider for you?
What is an adoption home study?
A home study is the process that hopeful adoptive parents go through to become legally approved to adopt. The purpose of a domestic home study is for a licensed home study provider to determine whether or not you can provide a safe and healthy home to raise a child. It is specifically tailored to your state's requirements and involves paperwork, important clearances (such as background and security checks), a physical, interviews with a social worker, a home visit, and adoption education. Your home study provider then compiles a report about your family and determines whether or not to approve you to proceed with adoption.
How do you choose a home study provider?
Just like any other service, there are amazing providers and downright awful providers as well. How do you choose a good home study provider? As you're looking into your options for home study providers near you, here are a few tips to guide you along the way:
- Make sure you are only considering licensed home study providers.
- If you're working with an adoption consultant, you will have an advantage in receiving their recommendations; ask for their personal experience with the providers they share with you.
- Ask adoptive families around you who they used for their home study and get feedback about their experiences.
- Do a google search for "licensed adoption home study providers" in your state and spend time looking through the websites of the providers near you.
- Consider the verbiage on their website; are they using positive and up-to-date adoption language (for example, "place a baby for adoption"vs. the outdated phrase "give up a baby")?
- Search for reviews on the home study provider; are they well respected in the adoption community?
- Search to see if there are any legal cases against the home study provider.
- Call each provider that you're considering and pay careful attention to how they treat you in the conversation. Do they rush you? Are they caring and interested in your story?
- Ask how long the home study process takes with each provider you're considering, and ask what training is involved for hopeful adoptive families.
- Inquire about the fees; are they all due at once? Do they charge for mileage?
- If you are considering taking a multi-agency approach to your adoption, let the home study provider know that. Ask the provider if they will be giving you a copy of the home study so that you can send it to multiple adoption agencies.
- Pray for the Lord's direction and follow His leading.
How Do You Know If You've Chosen A Good Home Study Provider?
Your home study provider should be someone excited to partner with you for your adoption. If you've chosen a good provider, they will be eager to be a part of your adoption journey!
