How Does a Home Study Work?

A home study is a requirement for any family looking to adopt a child through a domestic or international adoption. Adoption By Choice can complete a home study for you that meets Pennsylvania requirements as well as United States Citizenship and Immigration, and your child’s country of origin if you are adopting internationally.

A home study is an important document that insures all parties involved in the adoption that the adoptive home is a safe, nurturing and loving environment for a child. The Department of Human Services determines the requirements for a home study, including the documents that must be on file at the agency and the content of the home study. Once all of the required documents are on file, a caseworker from Adoption By Choice will schedule an appointment for personal interviews with the adoptive parents. Topics covered in the home study include the adoptive parents’ family background, their marital relationship, child rearing practices, employment and finances, medical status, child abuse and criminal history, and home and community environment. Although the primary purpose of the interviews is to gather information, this is also a time for the caseworker to provide education and support to the adoptive parents on an individual basis. When the home study is complete it is valid for three years, but must be updated annually to remain current. The home study is only accessible to agency staff, attorneys retained for an adoption, and the judge presiding over the adoption proceedings. If you live in Pennsylvania and you are within a 200 mile radius of Adoption By Choice we can complete a home study for you. If you reside outside of Pennsylvania you must have a home study completed by a licensed agency in your home state.