Homestudy and Postplacement Services for California and Texas Families
A homestudy is the first step in the adoption process. Whether you are considering domestic or international adoption, you will need to have a homestudy
from a licensed agency before you can be matched with a birth mother or receive a referral.
Homestudy Services
The homestudy is the primary document used to facilitate any adoption. Essentially, it is your "life story" and it comes into play during every step of your adoption process. It is the main source of information used to obtain approval by immigration services in the United States, and it also becomes a primary document in the paperwork that you will put together for the country from which you plan on adopting. It provides the officials overseas with important details about your family. The homestudy is an assessment that involves you and a state-licensed, specially trained Social Worker working together to explore your strengths, characteristics and history in order to lead to the successful adoption of your child.
Partners for Adoption takes great pride in its homestudy services. Our homestudy social workers are all specifically trained in the field of adoption, and are happy to assist you through both the emotional and logistical components of the homestudy process. Choosing the right agency with skilled professionals will greatly improve your chances of completing your adoption process as expediently as possible.
Post Placement Services
Most countries require that follow up reports be submitted to them at regular intervals after the completion of an adoption. The post-placement report process usually consists of a visit to the home, and an assessment of both the child and family's adjustment to one another by a qualified Social Worker. This is also a time for the Social Worker to answer any questions or concerns that the family may have.
Each country has specific information they request to ensure that your child is thriving in their new home, developing on track, and healthy. Post-placements reports are generally required at standard intervals after the child is adopted and can last anywhere from six months after placement to three years after placement. If the placing country does not require such reports, Partners for Adoption still requires each family to submit two post placement reports, one at six months and one at one year, per completed adoption. We feel that it is incumbent upon us to make sure that any child who is placed through any of our programs is doing well in their new home.
Counseling
Partners for Adoption is pleased to provide continuing consultation and support to families throughout their adoption journey. We do not believe our job is complete when the homestudy is finished. Rather, Partners for Adoption continues to offer compassionate, professional support. In addition, when appropriate, we have a network of specialists who can provide additional medical and counseling services to parents.
These may include: referrals to physicians who specialize in international adoption; counseling parents on attachment issues and adjustment in adoption; and education on the re-adoption process.
Included Logistics Services
As part of our agency services; we assist you in completing the immigration forms that are required for approval to bring your child into the United States.
We also coordinate and provide the paperwork needed specifically for your placement agency. And we will advocate for you every step of the way.
We know from personal experience that this can be a very scary time for a family as they prepare to embark on a journey that can be confusing, difficult, and stressful. We will give you tips and ideas to help you better enjoy your travel to a foreign country and adjustment to a different culture. We will also help you to educate yourself by recommending books specific to the country from which you are adopting. We do our absolute best to make the process of adoption as painless for you as possible so you can focus on the end goal: your new family member!
Frequently asked questions:
1) Does my homestudy agency need to be licensed in my state?
Yes, your homestudy agency must be licensed by the state you reside in to conduct homestudies.Some agencies have licenses for specific counties, while others are licensed statewide.
2) What state are you licensed in?
Partners for Adoption/AAi is able to conduct homestudies anywhere in the state of California.
3) Do you need a different kind of homestudy for international and domestic adoptions?
Both international and domestic adoption require a homestudy that meets the requirements of your state. However homestudies for international adoption must also meet the requirements of the INS and the country you plan to adopt from.
4) Who conducts homestudies?
Licensed social workers conduct all of our homestudies.
6) What are the social workers' qualifications?
Our social workers have many years of experience working with adoptive parents. Some have MSWs and others have LCSW qualifications.
7) What should I expect from the homestudy process?
The social worker will meet with you and your spouse 2-3 times. You will discuss both your past, such as where you were raised, and your thoughts on the future such as your preferences for a child and how you would discipline your child. The social worker will then prepare a report which is reviewed and approved by Partners for Adoption's Social Services Director. Once you have an approved homestudy, you are ready to proceed to the next step: choosing which program is right for you.
We would be happy to answer any additional questions you have on the homestudy process.
