Your home study is an important part of the international adoption process in that it will be used to grant your USCIS approval, along with your fingerprints and I-600a application, and it will be translated and reviewed by the Russian, Kazakh, or Kyrgyz. judge in charge of your adoption.

If you are a North Carolina resident, Frank Adoption Center can provide a home study worker. Prospective adoptive parents from any other state should choose a reputable home study agency in their state.

You should choose a licensed agency rather than an independent worker due to Russia and Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan's preference for the agency over the individual. Also helpful is for your home study agency to have worked previously with the country of your choosing. All countries have a preference for particular types of information to be found in a family’s home study, and the process will go more smoothly if your worker already has this knowledge.

Home study agencies can be found through your local yellow pages, and you may check with your local international adoption support groups for references as well. The following links may help you in your search for a home study agency: http://www.spafa.org or http://www.frua.org/.

The home study process should feel comfortable and supportive for your family. The worker is on your side, and is attempting to provide a clear and concise version of your life up to the present point. You should be honest with your worker, so he or she can explain all information within the home study.

Your worker will meet with you (and your spouse and children, if applicable) at least once at your home. If you are married, the worker will need to interview you individually and as a couple. The worker will need to tour your home in order to provide a description in the study. You will need to undergo both a police and a medical check during the home study process, and provide a complete listing of all income and expenses, assets and insurance. Some home study agencies may also have an educational requirement of some number of hours of adoption related education.

The home study will contain info on the following topics:

• Child requested for adoption: age, gender, race & number of children desired
  
• Motivation and readiness to adopt
  
• Understanding of foreign adoption
  
• Adoptive father: information on parents & siblings, school, work
  
• Adoptive mother: information on parents & siblings, school, work
  
• Present marriage: information on meeting, dating & marrying
  
• Previous marriage/date of divorce
  
• Current children (if applicable)
  
• Child care plans/attitude toward child rearing
  
• Employment and economic situation: income & expenses; assets; insurance
  
• Interests, hobbies and use of leisure time
  
• Religion
  
• Health: medical check signed by doctor
  
• Home and community
  
• Good conduct: local civil & criminal records check
  
• References: need at least 3 references

 

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