The Homestudy aka the “vetting” process

And we thought the application was thorough! The homestudy is the period where an agency “checks out” the couple or person who has applied for adoption. We are in this part of the process now. For us, it has involved mounds of paperwork including checking our references (employers, family, friends, church), which we have heard from our family and friends, that these forms were no small feat. So we pause to give a quick shout out to our references. Thank You!!

We also had to undergo background checks. The agency submitted forms on our behalf to EVERY state where we have lived. We also had to do fingerprinting.
We completed forms to assess our physical and mental health as well as that of our parents, siblings, etc. Forms to discuss our backgrounds growing up (basically, did we like our parents and do we have any childhood issues that may re-surface). We completed an assessment to evaluate our feelings for each other and our life together (should be an interesting conversation at our interviews). We submitted financial statements, proof of health insurance, tax documents, etc.

For some agencies we investigated this process can take up to 6 months. For the one we chose, the process was slated to take only 3 months. We will be at 90 days on August 25th, so it may take a little longer to be completely finished. Some of this will depend on the rest of our references and background checks.
A crucial component to our homestudy is the training. To qualify for the homestudy, we had to attend an 8-hour workshop with the agency, in addition to the formal application. Here we learned about what to expect in adoption. It was very informative. But we also met adoptive parents as well as birth mothers who passionately described what it was like for them to make the decision to allow someone else to parent their child. It was so touching.

We are continuing our training by reading 3 books along with book reports for each. We both have to read the books and submit separate book reports. Guess which one of us is almost finished ☺

So we are almost finished with our end of the homestudy paperwork. We will take a CPR class on Saturday and once we finish the book reports our part will be complete for the paperwork.

Once the paperwork is submitted and reviewed, and approved, then we will have 3 interviews with our adoption specialist, where she will come to our home and interview us individually and then together. She will check out our home and see if it’s suitable. But mostly she will be giving us the “once over” to make sure we’re stable enough for a child. This will certainly be an interesting post(s) once we get to this phase of the homestudy. We should be ready to run for office when this is done ☺

After the homestudy, we officially enter what is known through our agency, as the Domestic Program, where birthmothers will be able to look at our profile and hopefully decide that we are the parents she wants for her child.

We are looking forward to this day.