FactSheet 

for Families

July 2010

The Adoption Home 

Study Process

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families

Administration on Children, Youth and Families

Children’s Bureau

Child Welfare Information Gateway

Children’s Bureau/ACYF

1250 Maryland Avenue, SW

Eighth Floor

Washington, DC 20024

800.394.3366

Email: info@childwelfare.gov

www.childwelfare.gov

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: 

• Educate and prepare the adoptive family 

for adoption

• Evaluate the fitness of the adoptive family

What’s Inside:

• Elements of the home study process

• The home study report

• Common concerns about the 

home study
The Adoption Home Study Process www.childwelfare.gov

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• Gather information about the prospective 

parents that will help a social worker 

connect the family with a child whose 

needs they can meet

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. It may be helpful to remember that 

agencies are not looking for perfect parents. 

Rather, they are looking for a good match 

between a child’s needs and a family’s 

ability to meet those needs. 

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. They are also subject 

to change. 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 useful information 

in Child Welfare Information Gateway’s 

Adoption: Where Do I Start? www.

childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_start.cfm 

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: 

www.childwelfare.gov/nfcad

These resources, as well as factsheets 

with specific information about various 

types of adoption (such as foster care 

or intercountry), can be found on the 

Information Gateway website: www.

childwelfare.gov 

There is no single 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.

Orientation

Many agencies offer an initial informational 

session or orientation that provides an 

overview of the process and their agency. 

These generally are free, do not carry any 

obligation, and are a good way to find out 

about the agency, their process, the children 

available, and if the agency would be a good 

fit for you and your family.

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, adoption issues, and agency 

requirements. They can help families decide 

what type of child or children they could 

parent most effectively.

 Elements of the Home 

Study Process
The Adoption Home Study Process www.childwelfare.gov

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Interviews 

You will probably be interviewed several 

times by a 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 to be covered 

in the home study report (see below). 

You will likely be asked to give examples 

of your experiences with children, your 

important relationships, your approach to 

parenting, and how you handle stress and 

past experiences of crisis or loss, including 

discussions about infertility, which is a topic 

of concern for many adoptive families. You 

and your social worker will discuss what 

age of child would best fit in your family, 

whether a sibling group would work well, 

and other important characteristics you 

would be willing to accept in a child. Again, 

this should be both a self-reflective process 

and a time to educate yourself about issues 

with which you may not yet be familiar. 

With couples, some agency workers conduct 

all of the interviews 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. It is important to be honest with 

the social worker and yourself about your 

own strengths and limitations.

Home Visit

Home visits primarily serve to ensure that 

your home offers a safe environment for a 

child and meets State licensing standards 

(e.g., working smoke alarms, safe storage of 

firearms, safe water, pools covered/fenced, 

and adequate space for each child). Your 

home should be free from hazards and offer 

a child-friendly environment for the age 

range for which you are being licensed. For 

example, poisons and household cleaners 

should be in cupboards with childproof 

locks, window drape cords should not hang 

within reach, firearms should be inaccessible 

to children, etc. Some States require an 

inspection from local health and fire 

departments in addition to the visit by the 

social worker. 

Generally, agencies will require the 

social worker to view all areas of the 

house or apartment, including where the 

children will sleep, the basement, and 

the backyard. 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. A comfortable, child-friendly 

environment is what is being sought. 
The Adoption Home Study Process www.childwelfare.gov

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If you are planning to adopt a child 

from another country (intercountry 

adoption), you will need to know 

whether the country from which 

you plan to adopt is a party to the 

Hague Convention on Protection of 

Children and Co-operation in Respect 

of Intercountry Adoption. If it is, your 

home study will be subject to Hague 

Convention requirements. These 

requirements mandate which agencies 

or service providers may conduct your 

home study, what statements must be 

included about your parent training 

and eligibility, and how the home 

study must be submitted to the Central 

Authority for adoption in the country 

from which you plan to adopt.

• Find a list of countries that are parties 

to the Hague Convention on the U.S. 

Department of State website: www.

adoption.state.gov/hague/overview/

countries.html

• Read Information Gateway’s factsheet 

Intercountry Adoption From Hague 

Convention and Non-Hague Convention 

Countries: www.childwelfare.gov/

pubs/factsheets/hague.cfm

Health Statements

Most agencies require prospective adoptive 

parents to have a recent physical exam and 

a statement from a physician confirming 

that they 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 information or 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 do 

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)1, investments, and debts.

1 The booklet Protections for Newborns, Adopted Children, 

and New Parents from the Employee Benefits Security 

Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, notes that parents 

should enroll their child in their insurance policy within 30 days 

of their placement or adoption to ensure coverage (www.dol.

gov/ebsa/pdf/newborns.pdf). The Employee Benefits Security 

Administration (www.dol.gov/ebsa/aboutebsa) has oversight 

over employer-offered insurance benefits and may be able to 

answer families’ questions.
The Adoption Home Study Process

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www.childwelfare.gov

Background Checks 

All States require criminal and child abuse 

record checks for adoptive and foster parent 

applicants. In many States, local, State, and 

Federal clearances are required. Fingerprints 

may be taken as well. 

Public and private agencies must comply 

with State and Federal laws and policies 

regarding licensing requirements and how 

the findings of background checks affect 

eligibility for adoptive parents. However, 

do not hesitate to talk to social workers and 

agencies you are considering about specific 

situations that might disqualify you from 

adopting. Agencies will consider your past 

experiences as well as how you dealt with 

them, what you’ve learned from them, 

and how you would use that knowledge in 

parenting a child. Some agencies may be 

able to work with your family, depending 

on the specific incident and its resolution. If 

the social worker finds you to be deceptive 

or dishonest, however, or if the documents 

collected during the home study process 

expose inconsistencies, the agency may not 

approve your home study.

Autobiographical Statement 

Many adoption agencies ask 

prospective adoptive parents to write an 

autobiographical statement or story. This is, 

essentially, the story of your life. It helps the 

social worker understand your family better 

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 

parents who are considering placing their 

child for adoption, to help them choose 

an adoptive family. You may also be asked 

to prepare a similar album for children, if 

you are considering adopting children older 

than infants.

While writing about yourself may seem 

difficult, the exercise is intended to provide 

information about you to the agency, as 

well as to help you explore issues related 

to parenting and adoption. Some agencies 

have workers available 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 names, 

addresses, and telephone numbers of three 

or four people who will 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 people 

who have known you for years, who have 

seen 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 

who are not related to you. Good choices 

might include close friends, an employer, 

a former teacher, a coworker, a neighbor, 

or your pastor, minister, rabbi, or leader of 

your faith community (if applicable).

Approval would rarely be denied on the 

grounds of a single negative reference. 

However, if it were one of several negative 

factors, or if several references were 

negative, the agency might be unable to 

approve the adoption.
The Adoption Home Study Process www.childwelfare.gov

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Typically, the above steps conclude with 

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.

In addition to the above-mentioned health 

and income statements, background checks, 

and references, home study reports also 

include 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 levels, satisfaction 

with their educational achievements, 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 (for example, how they make 

decisions, solve problems, communicate, 

and show affection). Single applicants 

will be asked about their social life and 

how they anticipate integrating a child 

into it, as well as about their network of 

relatives and friends.

The Home Study Report

• 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 (for example, 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/belief system: information 

about the applicants’ religion, level of 

religious practice (if applicable), and the 

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 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 issues. There 

will likely be questions about how the 

applicants feel about birth families and 

the level of openness with the birth 

family that would work best, depending 

on the type of adoption. (Note: It is 

very typical for families’ feelings about 

openness to change throughout the 

home study process, as they learn more 

and become more comfortable with the 

issues involved.) For more information, 

read Information Gateway’s Openness in 

Adoption: A Factsheet for Families: www.

childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_openadopt.cfm
The Adoption Home Study Process

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www.childwelfare.gov

• 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.

Technology is changing how some 

agencies conduct home studies. Many 

records are now kept electronically. 

Families may choose to create an 

electronic album or Facebook page to 

share with potential birth parents in an 

infant adoption or to introduce their 

family to children or youth waiting for 

families in the foster care system.

Applicants also will be asked to provide 

copies of birth certificates, marriage licenses 

or certificates, and divorce decrees, if 

applicable. Some agencies share the home 

study with prospective parents; 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 other agencies to help 

unite your family with the child you are 

best able to parent. In some cases, the 

information may be shared with birth 

parents or others.

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, how many other 

people applied to the agency at the same 

time, and when any required trainings 

are offered. On average, a home study 

process takes 3 to 6 months to complete. 

The time will depend on you as well. You 

can help speed 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 

the 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 ($300 to $500), and once you adopt 

a child from foster care the fee is usually 

reimbursed.

A private agency or certified social worker 

in private practice might charge from 

$1,000 to $3,000 for the home study. Other 

services (such as an application fee and 

preplacement services) may be included 

 Common Concerns 

About the Home Study
The Adoption Home Study Process www.childwelfare.gov

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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 Adoption Expenses 

section of the Information Gateway 

website:

www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/

adoptive/expenses.cfm

What Might Disqualify Our Family 

From Adopting? 

Aside from a criminal record or overriding 

safety concerns that would preclude 

agencies from approving your home study, 

the decision to qualify or disqualify a family 

is made on a case-by-case basis. 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. 

It is also an opportunity for you to explore 

adoption issues and what types of children 

you can best parent, with the social 

worker’s help. 

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 Federal, State, and 

local laws, regulations, and policies. Child 

Welfare Information Gateway has compiled 

States’ laws regarding who may adopt 

in Who May Adopt, Be Adopted, or Place a 

Child for Adoption? www.childwelfare.gov/

systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/parties.

cfm

Within State guidelines, many agencies 

are looking for ways to rule families in

rather than rule them out, in order to meet 

the needs of children in the U.S. foster 

care system waiting for adoptive families. 

Many States also have their policies posted 

online. Information Gateway’s State Child 

Welfare Agency Websites has links to each 

State’s online adoption information: www.

childwelfare.gov/pubs/reslist/rl_dsp_website.

cfm?rs_ID=16&rate_chno=AZ-0004E

How Will the Children in Our Family 

Be Involved in the Home Study? 

Your children (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 age-appropriate 

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 want to know 

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 be sure that an adopted child or 

children will be welcomed and loved by 

all family members.
The Adoption Home Study Process

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www.childwelfare.gov

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, to prepare 

your family for adoption, and to help your 

family determine the type of child you 

could best parent. The process also serves 

to ensure that children are matched with 

families who can meet their needs in loving, 

caring, healthy, and safe environments so 

that there is a good match between the 

child’s needs and the family’s capacity.

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.

Thousands of children in the U.S. foster 

care system are waiting for families. 

The AdoptUsKids website (www.

adoptuskids.org) provides a national 

photolisting of children in foster 

care (En Español: www.adopte1.org). 

Information Gateway offers a complete 

listing of State Child Welfare Agency 

Websites: http://www.childwelfare.

gov/pubs/reslist/rl_dsp_website.

cfm?rs_ID=16&rate_chno=AZ-0004E