In New York State, home study investigations can be conducted by authorized private Adoption Agencies (aka voluntary agencies), public Departments of Social Services, and private Licensed Master or Clinical Social Workers. Only authorized private Adoption Agencies (for example, Family Connections, Inc.) can complete home study investigations for prospective adoptive parents involved in any type of adoption. The Department of Social Service can only conduct home study investigations needed for public foster care adoptions. Licensed social workers can perform home study investigations only for prospective adoptive parents who can become pre-qualified as adoptive parents by their county’s family court for kinship, step-parent, second parent, or private independent domestic adoption.
In New York State, Adoption Agencies are authorized by the Office of Children and Family Services. Family Connections, Inc. has been an authorized adoption agency in New York State since 1994 and provides home study services for families planning all types of adoptions. Family Connections and other authorized adoption agencies can conduct home study investigations and approve individuals as adoptive parents for ALL types of adoptions, including:
- Kinship Adoption
- Step-Parent Adoption
- Second Parent Adoption
- Foster Care Adoption
- Public Domestic System Adoption
- Private Domestic Agency Adoption
- Private Domestic Independent Adoption
- International (aka Inter-country) Adoption
Every county in New York State has a Department of Social Services. Caseworkers in the county’s Department of Social Services where the prospective adoptive parents live can complete home study investigations for families wishing to adopt from the U.S. public adoption system including foster care adoption or public domestic system adoption.
Social Workers in New York State are licensed by the State University of New York, the Department of the Professions as either Licensed Master Social Workers (LMSW) or Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW). Licensed social workers may conduct home study investigations for kinship, step-parent, second parent, and private domestic independent adoptions. Please understand that private licensed social workers are not able to approve individuals as adoptive parents; they can only recommend families for approval by the Court. Private licensed social workers are unable to obtain the child abuse history reports and criminal history reports needed to approve individuals as adoptive parents. Thus, if prospective adoptive parents choose to use a private licensed social worker, they will be required to petition their county’s Family Court to become pre-qualified (approved; aka pre-certified) as adoptive parents.
To complete a home study investigation with Family Connections, Inc., an authorized New York State Adoption Agency, please call 607-756-6574 or 1-800-535-5556 or e-mail the agency at info@adoptfamilyconnections.org.
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