Congratulations on deciding to open your home and hearts to a child through adoption. You are embarking on a wonderful journey that will begin with a home study investigation and end with the joy of a child. To be eligible to adopt a child domestically or internationally, you must successfully complete a home study investigation conducted by an authorized adoption agency or licensed social worker in your state of residence. Please note, families choosing to adopt internationally must work with a home study provider that is licensed/authorized in your state of residence and is Hague Accredited.
Family Connections, Inc. is an authorized adoption agency in New York State that has also achieved Hague Accreditation from IAAME. The agency provides home study services for families throughout New York State including for adoptive parents residing in Cortland, Syracuse, Binghamton, Ithaca, Elmira, Watertown, Albany, Rochester, Long Island, New York City and all towns in between. The agency has been providing home study services since 1994 and is considered a leading expert in domestic and inter-country adoption.
The purpose of the home study investigation/preparatory process is:
- To ensure that an adopted child would be safe and nurtured in your home.
- To prepare you for the addition of a child to your family through adoption. Your social worker will discuss with you such things as a child’s medical and developmental needs, attachment, life-long adoption family development, trans-racial and trans-cultural adoption issues, separation and loss, the importance of honoring the birth family, etc.
- To understand your adoption plan and the essence of who you and your family are so that your adoption results in a good “fit” for your child.
To qualify as an adoptive family in New York State, a family must complete a home study investigation that includes the following. Typically, the home study process takes two to four months to complete.
- A meeting with a qualified social worker face-to-face. The social worker must speak with each prospective adoptive parent and their minor children. The number of meetings will depend upon the requirements of the country from which you are adopting and your family’s needs. At least one social worker meeting must occur in your home to ensure that there is space in the home for a child and that the home environment is safe for a child.
- Child abuse and neglect history reviews from any state or country in which you have lived as an adult.
- Screening through the Vulnerable Persons Central Register regarding any abuse or neglect history of persons with special needs
- State or federal criminal history review conducted by the Department of Justice Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Medical examinations for all members of the household
- Autobiographies of the prospective adoptive parents
- Verification of income, assets and liabilities
- References from friends, clergy, co-workers, childcare providers, etc.
- Proof of birth and marriage
- Adoptive parent questionnaires and surveys
- Adoption preparatory training (requirements vary depending upon agency and country of adoption)
At the successful conclusion of the home study investigation, you will be approved as prospective adoptive parents and begin your journey into parenthood.
As an authorized New York State adoption agency and Hague Accredited adoption agency, Family Connections, Inc. would be pleased to support your home study needs for your adoption domestically or internationally. You can learn more about Family Connections, Inc. at www.adoptfamilyconnections.org. Please call us at 607-756-6574 or email us at info@adoptfamilyconnections.org for more information.
To learn more about the home study process you can download the agency's free guide to home study investigations below.
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