Lifetime’s hopeful adoptive parents go through a long, in-depth process called a “home study.” It involves background checks, employment and financial checks, a home visit, and a medical report before they are approved to adopt. Once the home study is complete, our team of adoption professionals will review it to ensure your baby goes to a safe and loving home. Emily was amazed by how thorough the home study process was, and it gave her confidence as she selected the family who would raise her daughter.
Learn more about the in-depth screening and background checks every hopeful adoptive parent must go through to adopt, so you can know your baby will be safe!
Table of Contents
- What is a Home Study?
- How to Find Out if an Adoptive Couple has a Home Study
- How Are Adoptive Families Evaluated?
- Open Adoption Gives You Control
- Ongoing Support and Monitoring
- How will I know my baby will be safe with the adoptive parents?
What is a Home Study?
A home study is a report prepared by a state-certified social worker who gathers information about a couple hoping to adopt. This social worker is independent, meaning that they do not work for an adoption agency, so they’re unbiased. They will screen and evaluate the hopeful adoptive parents.
As part of the the home study process, the social worker will visit the couple’s home. This visit makes sure that the house is safe and has plenty of room for a child. The social worker will check the entire home and property and interview everyone who lives there. If there are other adults who live with the adoptive couple, such as a grandparent, the social worker will also interview them and any children in the home. The social worker wants to ensure that everyone in the household is excited about their family growing.
When Emily saw the profile of the couple she ended up choosing as her baby’s adoptive parents, she was drawn to them not just because they seemed kind, but because she knew they had completed this rigorous screening process. They had the resources, the stability, and the genuine desire to be parents. Meeting them before the birth and seeing their commitment to open adoption reassured her completely.
How to Find Out if an Adoptive Couple has a Home Study
Now that you know what a home study is and what it involves, you might be wondering, “How do I know if the couple I’m interested in has completed a home study?” When you are looking for adoptive parents using Lifetime’s Family Search, you can see whether an adoptive couple has completed their home study. Once you click on their site, a green home study badge will appear in the top-right corner.
This badge means that their home study is valid, reviewed, and current. If you find a family without a badge, it means they are in the process of completing their home study. Legally, before a baby can be placed in their adoptive home, the home study must be complete.
How Are Adoptive Families Evaluated?
The social worker will conduct background checks and in-depth screenings on the hopeful adoptive parents. They will run a background check on all adults in the home, which includes federal (FBI), state, and local checks. These checks will show if there have been any criminal behavior or child abuse reports ever reported.
The hopeful adoptive parents have to prove their income through payroll stubs or tax records, pass criminal background checks, and get a physical to show they are healthy enough to parent. In addition, the social worker will run financial checks on the hopeful adoptive parents. The social worker wants to be sure there are no financial struggles or extensive debt that could cause stress on the family now or in the future.
The report will also need to show that the family can provide medical, dental, and life insurance to ensure their child is provided for if anything happens to a parent.
Another screening an adoptive family must complete is a health certification. All members of the household, even children, must get a doctor to certify that they are healthy and able to care for a child.
Adoption education is also important to the home study provider. Some states require a certain number of hours of education before a couple can adopt. At Lifetime, we provide adoptive families with extensive articles, webinars, podcasts, and blogs to make sure they receive all the adoption information, parenting, and life skills education they need to be great parents to your baby.
Even after the adoption is complete, the social worker will continue to visit the adoptive couple’s home monthly. She does so to make sure everyone is settling in and is happy and healthy.
Here’s a breakdown of the evaluation process to become an adoptive parent:
- Medical history
- Background checks
- Interviews to determine the stability of a couple’s relationship, their family, and discipline practices
- Criminal record, child abuse, and FBI clearances
- Personal references
- Physical exams
- Income tax records
- Inspection of their home and neighborhood
- and much more!
Open Adoption Gives You Control
One of the most important safeguards for your baby is choosing open adoption. In open adoption, you have the power to select the parents who will raise your child. You can review family profiles, meet the adoptive parents, get updates, and even maintain contact and visits with your child and the adoptive family. Emily was amazed to discover this and chose a couple who lived near the ocean a few hours away. Being able to meet, speak with, and develop an ongoing relationship with them gave her complete peace of mind.
“I get updates about once a month and have a great relationship with the adoptive family. We visit once a year. I love seeing the joy on my daughter’s face,” says Emily, reflecting on how open adoption has allowed her to stay connected and witness her daughter’s well-being firsthand.
Ongoing Support and Monitoring
Even after you’ve placed your baby with the adoptive family, the social worker will conduct follow-up visits and interviews. They will visit the adoptive family’s home to make sure your child continues to flourish. Phone conversations, regular visits, doctor’s reports, pictures, and updates are a normal part of our adoptions.
For over 40 years, Lifetime has maintained the highest standards for adoptive families while helping thousands of birth parents find the right adoptive family for their child.
How will I know my baby will be safe with the adoptive parents?
Let’s revisit the question, “How will I know my baby will be safe with the adoptive parents I choose?”
The answer is that you can be sure the adoptive parents have been thoroughly screened by the state and reviewed to ensure your baby is going to a safe, warm, loving home. In addition, open adoption allows you to maintain an ongoing relationship with your child and the adoptive family, giving you continued visibility into your child’s life and well-being.
Getting Support
Finding out you are pregnant unexpectedly can be scary, confusing, and overwhelming. Getting the right support so that you can make the best choice for you and your baby is important. Lifetime’s adoption specialists are available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide support. You can text or call Lifetime Adoption at 1-800-923-6784 at any time, even now!
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on April 10, 2018, and has since been updated.
As Vice President of Lifetime Adoption, Heather Featherston holds an MBA and is passionate about working with those facing adoption, pregnancy, and parenting issues. Heather has conducted training for birth parent advocates, spoken to professional groups, and has appeared on television and radio to discuss the multiple aspects of adoption. She has provided one-on-one support to women and hopeful adoptive parents working through adoption decisions.
Since 2002, she has been helping pregnant women and others in crisis to learn more about adoption. Heather also trains and speaks nationwide to pregnancy clinics to effectively meet the needs of women who want to explore adoption for their child. Today, she continues to address the concerns women have about adoption and supports the needs of women who choose adoption for their child.
As a published author of the book Called to Adoption, Featherston loves to see God’s hand at work every day as she helps children and families come together through adoption.
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