Although every state has slightly different requirements for a home study, the overall purpose is the same. A home study ensures that an adoptive home is a safe physical and emotional environment for a child. Home studies are conducted by social workers. Many, though not all, states require the social worker to have Masters level degree in Social Work (MSW).

Adoptive parents are required to fill out paperwork describing their upbringing and current life circumstances. They are also required to submit documentation about their finances, medical conditions and marital status (including any divorces). In addition, all adoptive parents must undergo a criminal background check. This includes compliance with the Federal Adam Walsh Law. This law requires a background check for every state where the individual(s) resided in the last five years.

A social worker will meet with adopting parents to review and discuss all paperwork submitted. Many people are concerned an agency will reject them if they reveal anything negative in their background on their application, such as abuse or alcoholism in the family. This is not the case. It is important to remember that people are not responsible for what happened to them as a child. But, the social worker will be interested in hearing how adopting parents think their experiences will affect their parenting.

The final step of the home study is the home inspection. Most agencies, like the IAC, will provide adopting parents with a list of what they are looking for during the home inspection. For an infant placement, the home does not need to be completely baby-proofed, but there are some basic safety issues that will be checked. These include things like fences around a pool and safe storage of medicines.

After the visit, the social worker will write the home study. Most agencies ask adopting parents to proofread it to ensure accuracy. Once the agency approves the home study they should provide the adopting parents with a copy.

Many states require a home study to be updated every year or two. At the IAC, we require all of our clients to update their home study annually even if it is not required in their state because the expectant mother they match with may live in a state that requires an annual update. The update entails a visit with the social worker, who will write up a short narrative of the visit and attach it to the original home study.

As most people know, a home study is the first step in an adoption for potential adoptive parents. Most, but not all, states require that a home study be completed by a social worker who has a Masters in Social Work (MSW). Most home studies are completed by social workers employed by an adoption agency. Adoption attorneys usually refer their clients to adoption agencies to complete their home study.

Social workers also play an important role in the matching process at the IAC. They facilitate the match meeting where discussion about everything from the hospital plan to the post adoption contact happen. Attorney adoptions may or may not involve a social worker in the matching process.

In both agency and attorney adoptive placements, once a baby is in an adoptive home a social worker does the post placement supervision that is required before finalization. Social workers also take the relinquishments from the birth parents, which permanently terminate their rights.

Perhaps the most important role that social workers play at the IAC is providing counseling to both birth and adoptive families. The IAC provides non-directive counseling for birthparents. This means that we do not push adoption. We help the potential birthparent to make the choice that is best for them. If they decide to make an adoption plan a social worker provides them with counseling throughout the process, and the IAC provides lifetime support to birthparents.

Adoption is often emotionally difficult for adoptive parents as well. At the IAC social workers provide both education and counseling for adoptive parents. This support is often helpful as families work through grief relating to infertility or sometime families need help with the anxiety that the adoption process can provoke.

As you can see, social workers play an important role in adoption, which is why the IAC has more than 20 social workers on staff. The IAC is committed to ensuring that that we provide all of the professional support that both birth and adoptive families need during the adoption process.