Home Studies
The
Home Study, a required document, is a written, comprehensive assessment of
the adoptive family by a licensed case worker. Its purpose is to ensure that
a child will be placed in a stable, loving home, as well as to provide a positive
learning experience by enabling the family to discuss and explore issues of
adoption and to prepare for the realities of parenting an adopted child.
- Includes visits to the home by a licensed case worker, and
written reports concerning the welfare and development of the child and the
adjustment of the family.
- Involves personal contacts and written evaluations as ordered by the court
to finalize an adoption
Adoption Home Studies
If you live in the Canada and are going to adopt, you will likely
need an adoption home study. Home studies are often required before a child
can be placed in your custody as adoptive parents. It is recommended that
you complete a home study as one of the first steps in your adoption process.
Home study requirements vary, but generally an adoption caseworker
will have you submit an intake form, and interview you to help her/him evaluate
if you are qualified to adopt according to the guidelines of your state. Usually
background checks, financial reviews, and at least one home visits are part
of the process.
The Adoption Home Study Process
Once prospective adoptive parents apply to adopt a child (whether they apply
to an agency, an attorney or facilitator, or directly to the court in an independent
adoption), most require the applicants undergo a "home study." This
process involves education and preparation as well as the gathering of information
about the prospective parents. Ideally, the home study helps to build a partnership
between the adoption social worker and the applicants.
Individuals who seek to adopt may face the entire process with tender egos
and mounting anxiety that they will not be "approved." Armed with
accurate information, however, prospective parents can face the home study
experience with confidence and the excitement that should accompany the prospect
of welcoming a child into the family.
The Nuts and Bolts of an Adoption Home Study
There is no set format that adoption agencies use to conduct home studies.
They must follow the general regulations of their Province, but they have
the freedom to develop their own application packet, policies, and procedures
within those regulations. Some agencies will have prospective parents attend
one or several group orientation sessions or a series of training classes
before they complete an application. Others will have their social worker
start by meeting with family members individually and then ask that they attend
educational meetings later on. Usually agency staff members are glad to answer
any questions and to guide applicants through the process.
The home study itself is a written report of the findings of the social worker
who has met with the applicants on several occasions, both individually and
together, usually at the social worker's office. At least one meeting will
occur in the applicant's home. If there are other people living in the home,
they also will be interviewed by the social worker.
On average the home study process takes three to six months to complete,
but it can take longer through public agencies or less time through non-licensed
facilitators. The home study process, the contents of the written home study
report, and the time it will take to complete vary from Province and from
agency to agency. In general, the following information is included in the
home study:
Autobiographical Statement
The autobiographical statement can be intimidating, but it is essentially
the story of your life. Most agencies have a set of guidelines that detail
the kind of information they require to assist you in writing the autobiography,
and others have the worker assist you directly. You may be asked to describe
who reared you and their style of child rearing, how many brothers and sisters
you have, and where you are in the birth order.
Your statement may answer many questions. Were you close to your parents
and siblings when you were a child; are you close now; how much contact do
you have with them? What are some successes or failures that you have had?
What educational level have you reached; do you plan to further your education;
are you happy with your educational attainments; what do you think about education
for a child? What is your employment status; your employment history; do you
have plans to change employment; do you like your current job?
If you are married, there will be questions about your marriage. These may
cover how you met, how long you dated before you married, how long you have
been married, what attracted you to each other, what your spouse's strengths
and weaknesses are, and the issues on which you agree and disagree in your
marriage. Others may ask how you make decisions, solve problems, settle arguments,
communicate, express feelings, and show affection. If you were married before,
there will be questions about that marriage. If you are single, there will
be questions about your social life and how you anticipate integrating a child
into it, as well as questions about your network of supportive relatives and
friends.
In your statement, you will probably describe your ordinary routines, such
as your typical weekday or weekend, your hobbies and interests, and your leisure
time activities. You may also describe your plans for childcare if you work
outside the home. There will be questions that cover your experiences with
children, relatives' children, neighbors, volunteer work, baby-sitting, teaching,
or coaching. You might be asked some "what if" questions regarding
discipline or other parenting issues.
You will probably be asked about your neighborhood: How friendly are you
with your neighbors? What kind of people live nearby? Is it a safe area? Why
did you pick this neighborhood? Are you located conveniently to community
resources, such as medical facilities, recreational facilities, shopping areas,
and religious facilities? And you will be asked about religion, your level
of religious practice, and what kind of religious upbringing (if any) you
will give the child.
There may also be a section on specific adoption-related issues, including
questions about why you want to adopt, what kind of child you feel you can
best parent and why, how you will tell the child he or she is adopted and
when, what you think of birth parents who make an adoption plan for their
child, how you will handle relatives' and friends' questions about adoption,
and whether you can bond to a child not genetically related to you.
You may not know all these answers right away! A home study is supposed to
help you think through these issues. Hopefully, the social worker guiding
you through the home study process will offer advice on describing these topics.
You will be asked to provide a copy of your birth certificate, your marriage
license or certificate, and your divorce decree, if applicable.
Health Statements
Most agencies require a physical exam of prospective adoptive parents, or
at least a current tuberculosis test (X-ray or scratch test). Some agencies
that only place infants with infertile couples require that the physician
verify the infertility. Others just want to know that you are essentially
healthy, have a normal life expectancy, and are able to physically and emotionally
handle the care of a child. If you have a medical condition, but are under
a doctor's care and it is under control (for instance, high blood pressure
or diabetes that is controlled by diet and medication), you can probably still
be approved as an adoptive family. A serious health problem that affects life
expectancy may prevent approval.
Income Statement
Usually, you are asked to verify your income by providing a copy of your
paycheck stub(s), an income tax form . You will be asked about your savings,
insurance policies, and other investments and debts, including your monthly
mortgage or rent payment, car and charge account payments, etc. This helps
determine your general financial stability. You do not have to be rich to
adopt; you just have to show that you can manages your finances responsibly
and adequately.
Child Abuse and Criminal Clearances
Most require by law that criminal record and child abuse record clearances
be conducted on all adoptive and foster parent applicants. This usually involves
filling out a form with your name (in a woman's case, it would include her
maiden name and former married names, if applicable), date of birth, and Social
Security number; possibly getting the form notarized; and sending it to the
child welfare and police agencies for clearance. In some Provinces it might
involve being fingerprinted. The authorities will check to see if you have
a child abuse or criminal charge on file.
Misdemeanors committed long ago for which there is a believable explanation
(for example, "I was young and foolish and did what the guys expected
me to...") usually are not held against you. A felony conviction, or
any charge involving children or illegal substances, would most likely not
be tolerated.
References
The agency will probably ask you for the names, addresses, and telephone
numbers of three or four individuals to serve as references for you. These
might be close personal friends, an employer, a former teacher, a co-worker,
a neighbor, or your pastor. The social worker will either write a letter to
or talk to your references on the telephone, asking questions about you that
you have already answered yourself. These would address such areas as your
experience with children, the stability of your marriage, if applicable, and
your motivation to adopt.
References generally are used to get a complete picture of a family's application
and an idea of their support network. Approval would rarely be denied on the
grounds of one negative reference alone. However, if it were one of several
negative factors, such as ill health, a questionable criminal record, and
a poor work history, or if several of the references were negative, the agency
may not approve the application.
You should pick as references people who know you the best. If possible,
they should be individuals who have known you for several years, who have
seen you in various kinds of situations, who have visited in your home and
know of your interest in children, and who are also able to comment on your
lifestyle. For instance, they should know what some of your hobbies and interests
are. These kinds of references are the most useful and compelling to the social
worker completing the home study.
Interviews
There probably will be several interviews, perhaps one or two in the agency
office and at least one in your home. You will discuss the topics addressed
in your autobiographical statement, and the social worker will ask any questions
necessary to clarify what you have written. In the case of couples, some agency
workers conduct all the interviews jointly, with husband and wife together.
Others will conduct both joint and individual interviews.
An important point: the worker is not visiting your home to conduct a white
glove inspection! He or she simply needs to verify that the child will be
entering into a safe and healthy environment and whether you have thought
ahead as to how you are going to accommodate the new family member. There
may be a requirement that you have a working smoke alarm (which is a good
idea anyway) and an evacuation plan in case of an emergency. The latter is
not something many people have, so you might want to develop one ahead of
time. The worker may want to see the child's bedroom and all the other areas
of the house or apartment, including the basement or back yard.
Some tips for the home visit: Do not clean the whole place from top to bottom,
unless that is the level of housekeeping you always maintain. A certain level
of cleanliness is necessary, but "lived-in" family clutter is expected.
Most social workers would worry that people living in a "picture perfect"
home would have a difficult time adjusting to the clutter that a child brings
to a household. Instead, use this visit as one more time to build on the open
and honest relationship you are developing with the worker.
It is natural to be nervous! But most often the worker wants to work with
you and approve you if you have gotten to this point of the home study. You
are not expected to reveal every intimate detail of your life, nor are you
expected to be perfect! In fact, perfection would probably raise eyebrows.
It is much more important to be honest, be yourself, and present a true picture
of your family history and family functioning. Social workers know that everyone
is a combination of strengths and weaknesses which makes each person unique.
If you had a difficult childhood, experienced financial problems, quit a job
in anger, or have some other "skeleton" in your closet that you
think might disqualify you, chances are, if you discuss it openly with the
social worker, it will not present a problem.
It would not be wise to be deceptive or dishonest or for the documents collected
in the home study to expose an inconsistency in what you have presented about
your family. This would betray the social worker's trust, which would harm
your chances and may even cause the termination of your home study.
If You Already Have Children
If you already have children, either birth children, adopted children, or
both, they will be included in the home study in some way. Older children
may be invited to one or more of the educational sessions. They might also
be asked to write a statement describing their feelings and preferences about
having a new brother or sister. Younger children might be asked to draw a
picture showing their thoughts on the subject. Children of all ages will probably
be met and/or interviewed by the social worker at least once.
The social worker may ask the children (and you too) how they do in school,
what their interests and hobbies are, what their friends are like, and how
they get rewarded or disciplined for good or not-so-good behavior. But the
emphasis will more likely be on how they see a new child fitting into the
family and whether they are prepared to share you with a new sibling. A new
sibling means sharing time, attention, television channel selection, the bathroom,
the prized seat at the kitchen table, and the many other elements of family
life on a daily basis.
Children's input is usually quite important in the overall assessment of
a family's readiness to adopt a child. Their feelings need to be considered,
and their reaction to the adoption needs to be generally positive. The social
worker will want to make sure that a newly adopted child will be wanted and
loved by everyone in the family from the start.
Some Final Notes
Flexibility and a sense of humor are vital characteristics when raising children
and they can come in handy during the home study as well. For instance, if
you have the flexibility in your job and are willing to take off an hour early
to meet with the social worker or to modify your schedule in some other way
to make the meeting arrangements flow smoothly, that effort will be appreciated
by the worker. As a parent to be, many more of these accommodations are in
your future; therefore the social worker often believes you might as well
start getting used to them!
The duration of the home study will vary from agency to agency, depending
on various factors, such as how many social workers are assigned to conduct
home studies, what other duties they have, and how many other people applied
to the agency at the same time as you. You can do a lot to expedite the process
by filling out your paperwork, scheduling your medical appointments, and gathering
the required documents.
The cost of the home study depends on which kind of agency or practitioner
is conducting the study. A public agency (often your local Department of Social
Services) does not usually charge a fee for a home study, since it is supported
by government funds. However, occasionally a public agency may charge a modest
home study fee-once you adopt one of the agency's children, you can usually
obtain a reimbursement for this fee.
A private agency might charge from $1,000 to $3,000 for the home study, although
it may charge no fees or charge lesser fees for home studies for children
with special needs. For a non-special-needs child, the fee may cover an application
fee and preplacement services, but be sure to confirm this. For locating a
specific child and providing follow-up or postplacement services, you will
usually be charged a separate fee. These services could possibly be performed
by a second agency. Fees for these additional services could range from $2,500
to $25,000. Many agencies allow the fees to be paid in installments. Again,
be sure to discuss this thoroughly so that there are no misunderstandings.
A certified social worker in private practice often conducts home studies
for independent adoptions. Fees for these are probably in the same range as
those for private agencies. Independent adoptions are not legal in all States.
Remember, even though an adoption home study may seem invasive or lengthy,
it is conducted to prepare you for adoption and help you decide whether adoption
is really for you. The regulations serve to protect the best interest of the
child and to ensure he or she is placed in a loving, caring, healthy, and
safe environment. Once you accept that premise, it often becomes a lot easier
to complete what is required of you. After all, the reward of withstanding
a short period of inconvenience is great: many years of happiness and fulfillment
raising a child to maturity.
Good luck to you in your pursuit of a child through adoption and with your
adoption home study. With perseverance and a good attitude, you will be able
to team with the adoption social worker to make this a valuable learning experience
- one which will help you to do the best possible job in parenting the child
who will join your family. After all, the adoption worker wants you to accomplish
your goal of adopting, especially if one more child gets a loving, permanent,
safe family.
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CANGRANDS National Kinship Support
R.R. 1, McArthurs Mills, Ontario K0L 2M0
Tel: 613-474-0035
E-mail: grandma@cangrands.com
courriel: demandez@cangrands.com
