Introduction
A Home Study is conducted by a licensed Social Worker under the aegis of an agency in the state where the prospective parent(s) reside. This Home Study is submitted to Commonwealth, to the USCIS, to the foreign country, and possibly to the court of the state in which the prospective parents reside (state specific). CAII relies on local home study agencies to conduct thorough investigations on each prospective adoptive family. Our mission is to place children in safe, loving homes. Home Studies should be written in plain language, as they will be translated for foreign courts. Please avoid abbreviations and colloquial expressions. Generally, International Home Studies are between 5 & 8 pages.For All International Adoptions
The home study must meet USCIS requirements of the such as:1. No more than six months old; if so, the HS needs to be updated.
2. Must be amended if there are any significant changes in residence, marital status, criminal history, finances, health, number of dependents.
3. Families must be prepared for international adoption by being informed there is potential for delays, possible changes in process and expenses.
4. Families must be educated as to risks involved when adopting children from foreign countries with limited medical, psychosocial, and developmental information.
5. The Home Study must recommend a specific country that the parent(s) plan to adopt from which needs to correlate with their USCIS application.
Once adoptive applicants are approved by USCIS, that approval will be valid for eighteen months. When placement of a child has not occurred within 12 months of the home study approval date, a home study update is required. This home study update will need to be submitted to USCIS prior to the date that the USCIS Orphan Visa Pre-Application expires. Families must be aware that the I-171H form sent to them by USCIS designates the family as approved to adopt internationally. USCIS regulations are published in the Federal Register.
Your agency will need to complete documents for the adoptive applicants (country specific). For example:
· Signed and Notarized Post-Placement Agreement
· Copies of the Agency’s License, signed by the Agency Director and notarized
· Copies of the Adoptive applicants references
Contacts Required:
A minimum of 2 visits (4 for China as required by the China Center of Adoption Affairs) with each family, which includes individual interviews.Home Study Cover Page
LEGAL NAME: MR. MRS.ADDRESS:
TELEPHONE:
BIRTHDATE:
BIRTHPLACE:
OCCUPATION:
MONTHLY INCOME:
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION:
EDUCATION:
CITIZENSHIP:
ETHNIC BACKGROUND:
MARITAL STATUS:
DATE OF PRESENT MARRIAGE:
CHILDREN IN THE HOME: DOB: ADOPTED/BIRTH
CONTACTS:
Home Study Narrative
A. Motivation To Adopt:(Include the reasons the applicants made the decision to adopt, any infertility issues, how they have been dealt with, what made them choose international adoption and why they have chosen the country they are adopting from.)
B. Preparation For Adoption:
(Include pre-adoption preparation the family has been involved in, a statement regarding the family being prepared for the experience of international adoption: discussion of processing, expenses, the potential risk and possible delays in the adoption process, USCIS requirements.)
C. Child Requested:
(Include family’s preference for age range of children, gender, siblings, & preferred racial and/or ethnic background. Specify country and the applicant’s commitment to continue the cultural heritage. Include how the applicants have been informed that they may have little or no medical information on the child or the biological parents, and they have considered the fact that their child may have medical problems, as well as developmental delays at the time of placement; applicants are aware of the possibility of their child developing a previously undiagnosed health problem/s; that the family is accepting of this and willing to take that risk. Include your assessment of each applicant’s ability to handle issues.)
D. Adoptive Applicants:
(For each applicant include information about: Family of origin; Current and past status of relationships with primary extended family members; Education and training; Employment history; Interests and hobbies; Character and personality traits, morals, values)
E. Marital History:
(Applicants relationship and marriage date, place etc.; assessment of the quality of the relationship; roles related to decision making, problem solving, etc. how would they describe the strengths and challenges of their partners. Single applicants: give appraisal of their single status, whether they plan to marry in the future and their commitment to the adopted child after a potential marriage in the future. Divorced applicants: state the issues related to the ending of the relationship of a previous marriage, and why their present marriage is more successful.
F. Children In The Home And Out Of The Home:
(Description of all children living both at home and away: full name(s), birth date(s), brief description of occupation/schooling and health and relationship quality. Children from previous marriages, including adopted, biological or deceased. Custody arrangements, if applicable.)
G. Others In The Home:
(FBI fingerprinting and interviews be done for ALL household adult members over the age of 18. A brief description of others in the household: relatives, foster children, house mates, in-home child care providers, etc., including their name(s), birth date, length of time living in the home, occupation and potential role this person will play in the adopted child’s life.)
*** For Families Adopting from China-Required in Guidelines issued by the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA)
For Single applicants adopting from China, who are living with a person of the same sex a statement must be submitted from the applicant that neither of them are homosexuals. The social worker preparing the home study report must make a reasonable, true and responsible assessment of the relationship and include it in the report. Single adoptive applicants living together with a heterosexual friends of the opposite sex must state the relationship between them as well. The attitudes of the co-habitants toward the adoption of a child from China must be addressed and noted in the report
H. Description Of Home, Neighborhood And Community:
(Description of the house including size, rooms, specifically rooms for children and play areas, safety, suitability for a child. Describe neighborhood, community resources. For families adopting trans-racially address the attitude of the community toward children of varying ethnic backgrounds.) Note: for China adoptions, include a statement that the home meets the local State’s requirements for an adoptive home.
I. Criminal History Check:
(Must include results from a criminal check according to state regulations, including a Child Abuse Registry check. The date the results were received must be noted in this section.)
USCIS needs a statement like the following:
“As required by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Service, the (couple or individual) was asked about their personal background and any history of sexual or child abuse, domestic violence, or substance abuse, even if it did not result in an arrest or conviction. In addition, (they) were asked if they previously had been rejected as prospective adoptive parents or had been the subject of an unfavorable home study. They responded.....................(note the response here).”
It has been CAI’s experience that any minor infraction of the law, at any age MUST AND WILL appear on the F.B.I. fingerprint check done by the Immigration and Naturalization Services. If either applicant has been detained by legal authorities for ANY REASON, at any age, it is probable that this was considered an arrest at the time, and it is advisable to discuss this at the beginning of the home study process. For the records of both CAII and USCIS, your applicants must be asked to obtain the following:
A letter explaining the circumstances surrounding the infraction, the incident and arrest with dates and details.
A copy of the disposition from the court. or the local police department that made the arrest.
A letter from the local police or court on their letterhead stating that they no longer have a record of this incident, with Instructions on how to get the information.
This information must be submitted to CAII as well as to USCIS.
J. Finances:
(Annual income of all applicants, including non-wage income. Include total financial and property assets & liabilities (real estate, auto, investments). Submit your assessment in this section of the family’s ability to financially rear and educate a child.)
K. Health Status:
(Include name of physician, date of latest examination (as required by specific countries), summary of physician’s report. For applicants who have a history of medical concerns or who have overcome substance abuse, additional documentation will be required to support positive recommendations. Treatment, medication for emotional, mental health or physical conditions that could affect their competency to parent. Applicants must provide letters from physicians and or therapists (on letterhead) who have treated them for these conditions. These letters should contain diagnosis, course of treatment, success, prognosis, how it will effect adoptive parenting).
L. References:
(Brief summary of at least three references. If adult children, include reference / statement of support summary)
M. Parenting Values And Practice:
(Each applicant’s experience, relationships and interactions with children, expectations for the role of parenting, child care plans.
N. Guardianship Plan:
(Address who will care for the children in the unlikely event of the death of both parents. Include specific names, ages, profession, marital status, the status of children in their home, health and financial situation.
China adoptions require the social worker to make an assessment of the suitability of the adoptive applicants choice of guardian & if the adoptive applicant is unmarried, a statement from their designated guardian taking responsibility for the potential adoptive child in the event of the death of the applicant must be included with the Home Study. Include whether a will has been put in place.)
O. Evaluation Of Family:
(Evaluative synopsis of the families abilities to parent the child/children requested, trans-cultural considerations)
P. Recommendation:
(Specify country, preferred gender, age range of child/children, acceptable child medical conditions, social worker’s recommendations. Include a statement addressing that the above named family is approved as acceptable to adopt internationally, in compliance with all the laws and regulations of the state in which the family resides.)
