A home study is an assessment conducted of prospective adoptive parents that includes basic information drawn from interviews with your family and provided by third parties. The goal of the adoption home study is to assess whether the prospective adoptive parents have the ability to make a lifelong commitment to providing a nurturing home to the adopted child.
In Texas, the basic elements of a home study include:
- Personal interview with each adopting parent
- Interview with adoptive child
- Observation of adoptive child, regardless of age
- Information from relevant collateral sources
- Evaluation of the home environment
The home study process serves many purposes, including preparing the prospective parents for adoption, evaluating the fitness of the adoptive family and gathering information about the prospective family in order to better match the parents and child.
Although the adoption home study process may seem invasive or lengthy, it is conducted to help you decide whether adoption is right for your family and to help you determine the type of child you could best parent.
You can help speed up the home study process by ensuring all necessary information is supplied completely and accurately, and that you don’t delay filling out paperwork, scheduling medical appointments, or gathering the required documents.
For more information, visit Completing an Adoption Home Study.