The home study is a biography of theprospective parents and an assessment of their living situation, and must beperformed by a licensed social worker employed by a registered Chinese adoptionagency. The home study requires four face-to-face visits with a social workerwhich usually includes a social worker's visit to your home and three moreinterviews which can be conducted in your home or in the social worker'soffice. If the home is not stable, you cannot adopt. There are 4 times homestudies including at least 1 time home visit by social workers from registeredadoption agency required by CCAA.
The home visit is just another interview,but in your home this time. If your state has a lot of rules, regarding thingslike whether you have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen or a lock on themedicine cabinet, the social worker will spend a couple of minutes verifyingthat everything is in place, but most of the time, the session won't be allthat much different from one in the social worker's office.
In general, your house won’t be an issuethere is evidence of a dangerous lifestyle. Drug paraphernalia, venomoussnakes, lots of evidence pointing to heavy alcohol use, winos asleep on yourfront steps, a house full of dog poop, a neighborhood where drive-by shootingsare common -- these are worrisome. If the social worker finds something thatdoesn’t quite meet code, he/she would tell to fix the problems for a revisitbefore the final report is written.
Typically, there are two times parenting courses. One is pre-adoptiontraining offered by your adoption agency at their office at the very beginningof staring your adoption. The other one is called Hague Training required byHague. It costs about 10 hours based online and you are allowed to do thetraining on line through a company that provided different on-line seminars.
Some people with excessive credit cardshave passed the home study and got the Referral from CCAA. Besides, the socialworker never said a thing about is since we know. However, you are stilladvised to contact with your social worker at the first time or the peopleexperienced with the same problem.
The following topics, as well as others, will be reviewed during your home study interviews:
MOTIVATION TO ADOPT:
1.Process of researching adoption and reason
2.Your fertility
3.Domestic or International adoption
4.Child preference to include: ethnicity, cultural background, age, sex, healthy or special needs
5.Readiness for adoption
6.ADOPTION HISTORY:
7.Previous placements, dates, locations
8.General experience
PERSONAL HISTORY: (for each applicant)
1.Date of birth, location of birth, where raised
2.Family composition
3.Previous marriages
4.Children from previous relationships
5.Family relationships
6.Parents careers
7.Family values, religion, activities, rules, disciplineSchool/college performance and activities
8.Career history/plans
9.Personal characteristics
10.Personal activities, hobbies
11.Challenges you've overcome
COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE:
1.How and where you met
2.Qualities which attracted you to your partner
3.Strengths and weaknesses of your relationship
4.Areas of disagreement
5.How issues are resolved
6.Marriage date and location
7.Financial agreements-combined/separate accounts
8.Household responsibilities
9.Family responses to spouse
10.Activities together
11.Common goals/values
CHILDREN:
1.Children in family and general description-including age, interests, and ideas about adoption
2.General ideas/values/goals
3.Likes and dislikes in children
4.Methods of discipline
5.Extended Family responses/involvement to adoption
6.Child care plans
7.Sibling rivalry possibilities
8.Guardian plan in event of parents untimely passing
ADOPTION AWARENESS:
1.Adoption related information (telling about adoption, open/comfort level)
2.Multi-ethnic backgrounds (transracial placement, ethnic awareness, response from others, strengths in life-style)
3.Family and siblings attitudes and community acceptance
4.Support groups and community activities
HEALTH:
1.Current health status
2.Medical problems
3.Fertility
4.Doctor's recommendations
5.Physical activities
REFERENCES:
1.Acknowledgement of four references
2.Fingerprint clearances-state/city-no criminal history
3.Child abuse clearances
HOME AND FINANCES:
1.Annual income, mortgage, market value, monthly payments
2.Description of the house (number of bedrooms/baths, decor, square feet, yard/play area, any dangers)
3.Proximity to schools, parks, recreation, etc.
4.Debts cars, houses, other property
5.Alimony, child support
6.Income (rental property, stock income)
7.Savings
8.Insurance (health, disability, life)
9.Attitude regarding finances (couple agree on who handles responsibility)
RECOMMENDATION:
1.Include child request or identified child
2.Statement attesting to clients ability to raise a child recognizing adoption, cultural and racial differences
3.Stable marriage-number of years married
4.Financial security
5.Emotionally and physically healthy
6.Good attitude about adoption and cultural/racial differences
7.Plans to tell child about adoption; sibling(s) prepared
8.Recommend/Best interest of child
