What Is An Adoption Homestudy?
An Adoption Homestudy is essentially an investigation into the background of prospective adoptive parents. It's purpose is to investigate whether it would be appropriate and/or safe to place a child in the home for adoptive purposes. This process often confuses prospective adoptive parents and makes them nervous because they feel like people are looking for things to criticize. When I do an adoption homestudy, my purpose is not to make people uncomfortable or belittle them, but to provide the necessary information to the judge presiding over the adoption so that he/she can make a fully informed decision based upon the facts obtained during the homestudy. Elements that we incorporate into homestudies are: description of current household composition, autobiographical information provided by each prospective adoptive parent based upon questions we provide to be answered in the autobiographies, financial status information, health status information for all members of the household, a description of the home environment, personal references, Family Care Safety Registry Background Screening, Criminal Background Screening on both the state and national levels, and an evaluation summary of the information provided within those elements. A home visit does occur during the course of the homestudy to document the safety of the dwelling as well as to describe how it accommodates the needs of the children who reside in the dwelling. If the child to be adopted lives in the household, he/she is interviewed as well (if the child is of the age to be able to verbalize) regarding his/her feelings about the adoption.
An Adoption Homestudy is acually a 2 step process which includes the Initial Homestudy and a Post-Placement Study. I charge $1000.00 for this complete process ($750.00 Initial Homestudy and $250.00 for the Post Placement Study). By Missouri Statute, a post-placement study is required in all adoptions except Step-Parent adoptions. If the adoption is through Interstate Compact Placement for Children, 3 Post-Placement visits and reports are generally required, and there is an additional charge for those ICPC studies. In the event that an Adoption Homestudy is sought to be used in an adoption outside the 45th or 10th Judicial Circuits of the State of Missouri, it is the responsibility of the prospective adoptive parents to confirm that a homestudy sought through Family Circle Therapeutic Services, LLC will be accepted for the purposes of the adoption by any and all entities involved in such adoption.
I enjoy all of the services that I provide through Family Circle Therapeutic Services, LLC, but I particularly enjoy being part of the adoption process in the 45th Judicial Circuit.
Angie Barton, B.S.E., M.A.P.C., L.P.C.
An Adoption Homestudy is acually a 2 step process which includes the Initial Homestudy and a Post-Placement Study. I charge $1000.00 for this complete process ($750.00 Initial Homestudy and $250.00 for the Post Placement Study). By Missouri Statute, a post-placement study is required in all adoptions except Step-Parent adoptions. If the adoption is through Interstate Compact Placement for Children, 3 Post-Placement visits and reports are generally required, and there is an additional charge for those ICPC studies. In the event that an Adoption Homestudy is sought to be used in an adoption outside the 45th or 10th Judicial Circuits of the State of Missouri, it is the responsibility of the prospective adoptive parents to confirm that a homestudy sought through Family Circle Therapeutic Services, LLC will be accepted for the purposes of the adoption by any and all entities involved in such adoption.
I enjoy all of the services that I provide through Family Circle Therapeutic Services, LLC, but I particularly enjoy being part of the adoption process in the 45th Judicial Circuit.
Angie Barton, B.S.E., M.A.P.C., L.P.C.