Adoption home study
Encyclopedia
A home study or homestudy is a screening of the home and life of prospective adoptive parents prior to allowing an adoption
to take place. In some places, and in all international adoption
s, a home study is required by law. Even where it is not legally mandated, it may be required by an adoption agency. Depending on the location and agency, different information may be sought during a home study.
A home study can be used both to aid the prospective parents in preparing to raise an adoptive child, and to rule out those who are not fit to be parents.
The ultimate purpose of a home study is for the benefit of the child, not the parents. Therefore, screeners are instructed to be thorough in their examinations.
There is typically a cost to a home study, which is usually several hundred to several thousand US dollars. In most cases, the prospective adoptive parents are responsible to cover the cost.
history, a criminal background check of the prospective parents, a credit check, medical record
s, and an examination of the home.
A home study, as its name implies, examines the dwelling of the prospective parents. Factors that may be taken into account include the cleanliness and condition of the home, fire safety
, sanitation
, and the well-being of the neighborhood where the home is located.
Factors pertaining to the people may include their desire to adopt, their understanding of the relationship between adoptive parents and children, and their willingness to share with an adopted child the fact that they are adopted.
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
to take place. In some places, and in all international adoption
International adoption
International adoption is a type of adoption in which an individual or couple becomes the legal and permanent parents of a child that is a national of a different country...
s, a home study is required by law. Even where it is not legally mandated, it may be required by an adoption agency. Depending on the location and agency, different information may be sought during a home study.
A home study can be used both to aid the prospective parents in preparing to raise an adoptive child, and to rule out those who are not fit to be parents.
The ultimate purpose of a home study is for the benefit of the child, not the parents. Therefore, screeners are instructed to be thorough in their examinations.
There is typically a cost to a home study, which is usually several hundred to several thousand US dollars. In most cases, the prospective adoptive parents are responsible to cover the cost.
Information
The types of information that may be sought from a home study include the determination if there is abuse in the past, family background, employmentEmployment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
history, a criminal background check of the prospective parents, a credit check, medical record
Medical record
The terms medical record, health record, and medical chart are used somewhat interchangeably to describe the systematic documentation of a single patient's medical history and care across time within one particular health care provider's jurisdiction....
s, and an examination of the home.
A home study, as its name implies, examines the dwelling of the prospective parents. Factors that may be taken into account include the cleanliness and condition of the home, fire safety
Fire safety
Fire safety refers to precautions that are taken to prevent or reduce the likelihood of a fire that may result in death, injury, or property damage, alert those in a structure to the presence of a fire in the event one occurs, better enable those threatened by a fire to survive, or to reduce the...
, sanitation
Sanitation
Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic...
, and the well-being of the neighborhood where the home is located.
Factors pertaining to the people may include their desire to adopt, their understanding of the relationship between adoptive parents and children, and their willingness to share with an adopted child the fact that they are adopted.