Child Welfare Information Gateway 

Children’s Bureau/ACYF 

1250 Maryland Avenue, SW 

Eighth Floor 

Washington, DC 20024 

703.385.7565 or 800.394.3366 

Email: info@childwelfare.gov 

www.childwelfare.gov 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families

Administration on Children, Youth and Families

Children’s Bureau

The Adoption Home 

Study Process 

FactSheet 

For FamilieS 

What’s inside: 

• Elements of the home study process 

• The home study report 

• Common concerns about the 

home study 

March 2004 

Disponible en español 

www.childwelfare.gov/ 

pubs/proceso.cfm 

The laws of every State and the District of 

Columbia require all prospective adoptive parents 

(no matter how they intend to adopt) to participate 

in a home study. This process has three purposes: 

to educate and prepare the adoptive family for 

adoption, to gather information about the prospective parents that will help a social worker match 

the family with a child whose needs they can meet, 

and to evaluate the fitness of the adoptive family. 
The Adoption Home Study Process www.childwelfare.gov 

The home study process can be a source of 

anxiety for some prospective parents, who 

may fear they will not be “approved.” It 

may be helpful to remember agencies are 

not looking for perfect parents. Rather, they 

are looking for real parents to parent real 

children. With accurate information about 

the process, 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. 

Specific home study requirements and processes vary greatly from agency to agency, 

State to State, and (in the case of intercountry adoption) by the child’s country of 

origin. This factsheet discusses the common 

elements of the home study process and 

addresses some concerns prospective adoptive parents may have about the process. 

If you are just beginning your 

journey to adoption, you may find 

the Information Gateway factsheet, 

Adoption: Where Do I Start? useful. 

Information Gateway also offers the 

National Foster Care & Adoption 

Directory, a searchable database listing 

public and licensed private agencies, 

attorney referral services, support 

groups, State adoption specialists, 

and more for each State, Territory, 

and the District of Columbia. These 

resources, as well as factsheets with 

specific information on special types 

of adoption (such as foster care or 

intercountry), can be found on the 

Information Gateway website 

(www.childwelfare.gov). 

elements of the home 

Study Process 

There is no set format that adoption agencies use to conduct home studies. Many 

agencies include the following steps in their 

home study process, although the specific 

details and order will vary. For more information, talk with the agencies you are 

considering. 

training 

Many agencies require trainings for prospective adoptive parents prior to or during the 

home study process. These trainings help 

prospective parents better understand the 

needs of children waiting for families and 

help families decide what type of child or 

children they could parent most effectively. 

interviews 

You will probably be interviewed several 

times by the social worker. These interviews 

help you develop a relationship with your 

social worker that will enable him or her 

to better understand your family and assist 

you with an appropriate placement. You will 

discuss the topics addressed in the home 

study report (see below). You will likely be 

asked to explain how you handle stress and 

past experiences of crisis or loss. In the case 

of couples, some agency workers conduct all 

of the interviews jointly, with both prospective parents together. Others will conduct 

both joint and individual interviews. If 

families have adult children living outside 

the home, they also may be interviewed 

during this process. 

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The Adoption Home Study Process www.childwelfare.gov 

home Visit 

Home visits primarily serve to ensure your 

home meets State licensing standards (e.g., 

working smoke alarms, safe storage of firearms, safe water, adequate space for each 

child, etc.). Some States require an inspection from the local health and fire departments in addition to the visit by the social 

worker. The agency will generally require 

the worker to see all areas of the house or 

apartment, including where the children 

will sleep, the basement, and the back yard. 

He or she will be looking for how you plan 

to accommodate a new family member (or 

members, if you are planning to adopt a 

sibling group). Social workers are not typically inspecting your housekeeping standards. A certain level of order is necessary, 

but some family clutter is expected. Some 

agencies would worry that people living in a 

“picture perfect” home would have a difficult time adjusting to the clutter a child 

brings to a household. 

health Statements 

Most agencies require prospective adoptive parents to have some form of physical 

exam. Some agencies have specific requirements; for example, agencies that only place 

infants with infertile couples may require a 

physician to confirm the infertility. Other 

agencies just want to know the prospective parents are essentially healthy, have a 

normal life expectancy, and are physically 

and mentally able to handle the care of 

a child. 

If you have a medical condition that is 

under control (for instance, high blood 

pressure or diabetes that is controlled by 

diet and medication), you may still be 

approved as an adoptive family. A serious 

health problem that affects life expectancy 

may prevent approval. If your family has 

sought counseling or treatment for a mental 

health condition in the past, you may be 

asked to provide reports from those visits. 

Many agencies view seeking help as a sign of 

strength; the fact that your family obtained 

such help should not, in and of itself, preclude you from adopting. However, each 

family’s situation is unique, so check with 

the agencies or social workers you are considering if you have concerns. 

income Statements 

You do not have to be rich to adopt; you 

just have to show you can manage your 

finances responsibly and adequately. (Some 

countries may have specific income requirements for intercountry adoption.) Usually, 

prospective parents are asked to verify their 

income by providing copies of paycheck 

stubs, W-4 forms, or income tax forms. 

Many agencies also ask about savings, insurance policies (including health coverage for 

the adopted child), and other investments 

and debts. 

Background checks 

Most States require criminal and child abuse 

record clearances for all adoptive and foster 

parent applicants. In many States, local, 

State, and Federal clearances are required. 

While the vast majority of prospective adoptive parents have no criminal or child abuse 

history, it is important for children’s safety 

to identify those few families who might put 

children at risk. 

Public and private agencies need to comply 

with State laws and policies regarding how 

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The Adoption Home Study Process www.childwelfare.gov 

the findings of background checks affect 

eligibility for adoptive parents. However, 

do not hesitate to talk to agencies and social 

workers you are considering about specific 

situations that might disqualify you from 

adopting. Agencies are looking not just at 

your past experiences, but at what you’ve 

learned from them and how you would use 

that knowledge in parenting a child. Some 

agencies in some States may be able to work 

with your family, depending on the charge 

and its resolution. If the social worker 

feels you are being deceptive or dishonest, however, or if the documents collected 

during the home study process expose 

inconsistencies, the social worker may have 

difficulty trusting you. 

autobiographical Statement 

Many adoption agencies ask prospective 

adoptive parents to write an autobiographical statement. This is, essentially, the story 

of your life. This statement helps the social 

worker better understand your family and 

assists him or her in writing the home study 

report (see below). If you are working with 

an agency that practices openness in adoption, you also may be asked to write a letter 

or create an album or scrapbook about your 

family to be shared with expectant birth 

parents to help them choose a family for 

their child. 

While writing about yourself can be intimidating, the exercise is intended to provide 

information about you to the agency, as well 

as to help you explore issues related to the 

adoption. Some agencies have workers to 

assist you with the writing. Most have a set 

of questions to guide you through writing 

your autobiography. 

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. References help the social 

worker form a more complete picture of 

your family and support network. 

If possible, references should be individuals 

who have known you for several years, who 

have observed you in many situations, and 

who have visited your home and know of 

your interest in and involvement with children. Most agencies require that references 

be people unrelated to you. Good choices 

might include close friends, an employer, 

a former teacher, a co-worker, a neighbor, 

or your pastor, rabbi, or leader of your 

faith community. 

Approval would rarely be denied on the 

grounds of one negative reference alone. 

However, if it were one of several negative 

factors, or if several of the references were 

negative, the agency might be unable to 

approve the adoption. 

the home Study 

report

Typically, the above steps culminate in 

the writing of a home study report that 

reflects the social worker’s findings. Home 

study reports often are used to “introduce” 

your family to other agencies or adoption 

exchanges (services that list children waiting 

for families) to assist in matching your 

family with a waiting child. 

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Child Welfare Information Gateway. Available online at www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_homstu.cfm. 4 
The Adoption Home Study Process www.childwelfare.gov 

In general, home study reports include 

the above-mentioned health and income 

statements, background checks, and references, as well as the following types 

of information: 

• Family background. Descriptions of the 

applicants’ childhoods, how they were 

parented, past and current relationships 

with parents and siblings, key events and 

losses, and what was learned from them. 

• Education/employment. Applicants’ 

current educational level, satisfaction 

with their educational attainments, 

and any plans to further their education, as well as their employment status, 

history, plans, and satisfaction with their 

current jobs. 

•Relationships. If applicants are a couple, 

the report may cover their history 

together as well as their current relationship (e.g., how they make decisions, solve 

problems, communicate, show affection, 

etc.). If applicants are single, there will 

be information about their social life and 

how they anticipate integrating a child 

into it, as well as information about their 

network of relatives and friends. 

• Daily life. Routines, such as a typical 

weekday or weekend, plans for child care 

(if applicants work outside the home), 

hobbies, and interests. 

• Parenting. Applicants’ past experiences 

with children (e.g., their own, relatives’ 

children, neighbors, volunteer work, 

babysitting, teaching, or coaching), in 

addition to their plans regarding discipline and other parenting issues. 

• Neighborhood. Descriptions of the applicants’ neighborhood, including safety 

and proximity to community resources. 

•Religion. Information about the applicants’ religion, level of religious practice, 

and what kind of religious upbringing (if 

any) they plan to provide for the child. 

• Feelings about/readiness for adoption. 

There may be a section on specific adoption-related issues, including why the 

applicants want to adopt, feelings about 

infertility (if this is an issue), what kind 

of child they might best parent and why, 

and how they plan to talk to their children about adoption-related issues. If the 

agency practices openness, there may 

be information about how the applicants feel about birth families and how 

much openness with the birth family 

might work best. For more information, 

read Information Gateway’s Openness in 

Adoption: A Factsheet for Families. 

• Approval/recommendation. The 

home study report will conclude with a 

summary and the social worker’s recommendation. This often includes the age 

range and number of children for which 

the family is recommended. 

Applicants also will be asked to provide 

copies of birth certificates, marriage licenses 

or certificates, and divorce decrees, if applicable. Some agencies allow prospective 

parents to read the home study report about 

themselves; others do not. You may want to 

ask the agency about the confidentiality of 

the home study report and how extensively 

your information will be shared. Agency 

policies vary greatly, depending on the type 

of agency and type of adoption. In many 

cases, the information will be shared with 

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The Adoption Home Study Process www.childwelfare.gov 

other agencies to help in matching the most 

appropriate child with your family. In some 

cases, the information may also be shared 

with birth parents or others. 

common concerns 

about the home Study 

how long will the home study take? 

The time it takes to conduct the home study 

will vary from agency to agency, depending 

on 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. On average the home study process 

takes  to  months to complete. You can 

help speed up the process by filling out 

your paperwork, scheduling your medical 

appointments, and gathering the required 

documents without delay. 

how much does a home study cost? 

The cost of the home study depends on 

what kind of adoption you are pursuing. 

Agencies conducting domestic adoptions 

of children from foster care (such as your 

local Department of Social Services) may 

not charge a fee for the home study. If these 

agencies do charge a fee, they often are 

modest ($00 to $00), and once you adopt 

a child from foster care you can usually 

obtain reimbursement for this fee. 

For domestic infant adoption, intercountry adoption, or independent adoption, a 

private agency or certified social worker in 

private practice might charge from $1,000 

to $,000 for the home study. Other services 

(such as an application fee and preplacement services) may be included in this fee. 

Be sure to discuss any fees thoroughly and 

ask for this information in writing to avoid 

any misunderstandings. 

For more information about costs 

of adoption and resources to help 

defray those costs, see the Information 

Gateway factsheet, Costs of Adopting. 

What might disqualify our 

family from adopting? 

Aside from a criminal record or overriding 

safety concerns that would preclude agencies from approving your family under 

your State’s laws or policies, characteristics 

that might disqualify a family in one situation may be seen as strengths in another. 

Remember, agencies are not looking for 

“perfect” families. The home study process 

is a way for a social worker to learn more 

about your real family, as a potential home 

for real children. 

Who may adopt varies from agency to 

agency, State to State, and by the child’s 

country of origin. Adoptions in the United 

States are governed by State law and regulations. Information Gateway has compiled 

States’ laws regarding who may adopt in 

Parties to an Adoption. Some States also have 

their policies posted online. The Information 

Gateway resource listing, State Child Welfare 

Agency Websites, has links to each State’s 

online adoption information. Within State 

guidelines, many agencies are looking for 

ways to rule families in rather than rule 

them out, to meet the needs of children 

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The Adoption Home Study Process www.childwelfare.gov 

in the U.S. foster care system waiting for 

adoptive families. 

Thousands of children in the U.S. foster 

care system are waiting for families. 

The AdoptUsKids website (www. 

adoptuskids.org) provides a national 

online photolisting of children in foster 

care. Information Gateway offers a 

complete listing of State Child Welfare 

Agency Websites on its website (www. 

childwelfare.gov). 

how will the children in our family 

be involved in the home study? 

Children in your family (whether they 

joined your family through birth, foster 

care, adoption, or marriage) will be included 

in the home study in some way. Older children may be invited to participate in ageappropriate groups during one or more of 

the educational sessions. They also might be 

asked to write a statement describing their 

feelings and preferences about having a new 

brother or sister. 

The social worker will likely ask how the 

children do in school, what their interests 

and hobbies are, what their friends are like, 

and how their behavior is rewarded or disciplined. However, the emphasis will more 

likely be on how the children see a new 

sibling (or siblings) fitting into the family 

and whether they are prepared to share 

your time and attention. Children’s input 

is usually quite important in the overall 

assessment of a family’s readiness to adopt 

a child. The social worker will want to make 

sure that an adopted child or children will 

be wanted and loved by all family members 

from the start. 

conclusion

Although the adoption home study process 

may seem invasive or lengthy, it is conducted to help you decide whether adoption is right for your family, prepare your 

family for adoption, and help your family 

determine which type of child you could 

best parent. The process also serves to 

ensure children are placed in loving, caring, 

healthy, and safe environments. 

Flexibility and a sense of humor are vital 

characteristics when raising children, and 

they can be useful during the home study 

process as well. With perseverance and a 

positive outlook, you will be able to team 

with the social worker to make this a valuable learning experience—one that will help 

you do the best possible job in parenting the 

child who will eventually join your family. 

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