What Is A Home Study?

The Home Study is a government mandated process whereby adoptive applicants are educated and assessed by themselves and the Private Adoption Practitioner as to his or her suitability to become an adoptive parent.

It usually involves 4 to 6 interviews where topics such as motivation to adopt, family history, socioeconomic factors, spousal relationship, personalities, parenting ideas, and adoption issues will be discussed. After you provide the required paperwork such as criminal record checks, medicals and references, the Private Adoption Practitioner writes the Home Study report. You review the draft and the final version is used for your public, private, or international adoption.

If this is your second adoption, a Home Study Reapplication Update is required. It is usually one visit and the focus is on your parenting experience, its effect on your marriage and family, your success in sharing your child's adoption story with him or her and others, and how you have helped the child maintain pride in his or her culture of origin. The update can be started 9 months after the placement of your first child and there must be 18 months spacing between the ages of the children and between the placements.