Intro and What is involved in a home study?

beachcomber0150

Hi, I've been lurking and posting some on this board (under an old name) for years but we actually might be taking the huge step.

We have had an oppurtunity to pursue a private adoption (not through an agency). A friend of a friend of a friend is considering adoption and we were recommended. We are very interested but we haven't done anything to prepare. If the expectant mom decides to place, I know we would need to get an adoption lawyer in our state and the state where she is correct? Also she would need a seperate lawyer of her own correct? Doing research, we could pay for her legal and medical expenses. I assume this would all be handled through lawyers?

 

My main concerns right now are twofold. One we would still need a home study done even if this is a private adoption? What exactly does a home study entail? How long do they take to complete.?The expectant mom is around 13 weeks. I'm worried we couldn't get our paperwork done in time.

Would you suggest reaching out to the woman in any way or wait for her to contact us? I don't want to pressure her at all but I'm worried that if her OB has connections to an agency, we may not even get a chance to be considered.

bumpuser794640

You will still need a home study even for a private adoption.  You might want to Google your state's adoption laws (and the state of the expectant mother), and you will need a lawyer in both states.  Depending on state laws you may be able to pay some of her expenses, usually an adoption lawyer will set up an escrow fund for you and manage the payments on your behalf, I believe.

A home study will usually require individual and couples interviews with a social worker, as well as a questionnaire that asks about all aspects of your life, upbringing, relationship, etc., which the social worker will read and ask you about during the interviews.  There will also be a home inspection portion.

I would ask your friend if the expectant mother would be willing to talk to you about her adoption plans.  If you talk and think it could be a good match, then you can worry about lawyers or agencies, etc.

beachcomber0150

Gnome, thanks for the advice. I was worried about talking to the expectant mom before having a lawyer in case that was seen as "pressuring" or something legally. Thanks!

aligross

Hey Gnome did a great job explaining things! 

We just finished up our home study... what I remember it entailing is... 

Physicals for both my husband and myself

Questionnaires with easy and really hard questions

We had to compile our tax information from the past 3 years

We had to have employment verification

We needed letters of reference

We had to compile our family information

We had to find all of our tax information on our house and explain the demographics of our neighborhood/city

We needed federal fingerprints to happen

After all of that paperwork was finished we then had to have 3 meetings with our social worker - 2 with the both of us together and 1 meeting where we each had to do it separately. 

After all of the meetings and paperwork we waited about 3 weeks for our home study to be written and another week for it to be approved. 

Depending on the state laws, you will most likely need to have separate attorneys - you will need one in your state as well. When you're talking to lawyers I'd ask if they recommend a social worker to work with - your birth mom will most likely have to go through counseling before she can create an adoption plan! Also, when you're back home before finalization happens you'll need to have post placement visits!  

Don't know if all of this helps or not. If your potential BM is 13 weeks along, I'd start finding someone to work on the home study. You will need to either ask your lawyer or find an agency to do the home study. 

Dr.Loretta

If the e-mom is only 13 weeks, you have plenty of time to get your homestudy done. There are clearances where the timing is somewhat out of your hands, but the personal stuff you and your H need to do are limited only by your timeline in getting them done.

The FAQs have overviews of homestudies and what they entail.