Getting Ready for Your Adoption Home Study?

You Need This Checklist

One of Lifetime’s goals is to share practical, easy-to-follow adoption tips for you on our website. Many hopeful adoptive parents feel overwhelmed by the home study process. So, we’re giving you an adoption home study checklist to help you get ready!

Please note that the home study regulations will differ depending on your state. This home study checklist is general and covers the documents and clearances most states require. If there are any safety concerns with your house, your home study professional will typically let you know about the issue. That way, you’ll have enough time to fix the issue before he or she completes your home study.

Home & Safety Preparations

Depending on your state, you may need to adhere to or receive training on these items. This list may also differ based on the age of the child you’re hoping to adopt:

First aid kit
Fire extinguisher in your kitchen
Medications, cleaning products, and other toxic substances moved out of a child’s reach
Carbon monoxide detector
Evacuation floor plans
Smoke detectors on each floor of your home, and near or in your future child’s room
Locks and secure screens on all windows
Screen covering your fireplace or wood stove
Covers on electrical outlets
Gates to place at stairways
Fence around pool
Locked top on hot tub
Phone numbers in case of emergency
Firearms in a locked container, ammunition in a separate locked container

Documents to Collect

Both of your driver’s licenses
Birth certificates (of everyone living in your home)
Marriage certificate
Divorce decree(s) if applicable
Your autobiographical statement
Statement of your parenting plan
Military discharge paperwork, if relevant
Death certificates, if applicable
Vet vaccination records for all pets
School records on all children in the home
Your financial information
Statement from your doctor about your health status
Most recent tax return
Proof of home, life, health, and car insurance
Proof of employment (such as a letter from your employer or your most recent pay stub)
Reference statements from relatives and non-relatives

Clearances

Criminal background check
FBI clearance
Child abuse clearances (from every place you’ve lived in for the past 5 years)
Sex offender clearance

As you prepare for your adoption home study, this practical checklist should prove to be useful! Lifetime encourages you to seek guidance from your home study professional as well since requirements vary state by state.

Helpful Home Study Resources

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If you live outside of the United States, please click here.

“Hi Jen, I heard about Lifetime through the Podcast Infant Adoption Guide and I was listening to the episode with Libby Denniston. I really liked all the things Tim had to say about the organization and how wonderful and helpful Libby was as his coordinator. This leads me to researching more about Lifetime and filling out the application. Let me know if you have any other questions, thank you!”

Margot

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