LEGAL LANGUAGE SERVICES
Home > Public Resources > International Adoption > Home Study Concerns
Common Concerns About the Home Study
How long will the home study take?
The length of time for the home study will vary from agency to agency. The home study process takes an average of 3 to 6 months to complete. You can help speed up the process by filling out your paperwork, scheduling your medical appointments, and gathering the required documents ahead of time.
How much does a home study cost?
For intercountry adoption, a private agency or certified social worker in private practice might charge from $1,000 to $3,000 for the home study. Other services (such as an application fee and preplacement services) are sometimes included in this fee.
What might disqualify our family from adopting?
Aside from a criminal record or overriding safety concerns that would stop agencies from approving your family under your State's laws or policies, it is difficult to say what would definitively disqualify a prospective parent from adopting.
Who may adopt varies from agency to agency, State to State, and by the child's country of origin. Adoptions in the United States are governed by State law and regulations (see links below for a complete listing).
How will the children in our family be involved in the home study?
All children in your family will be included in the home study in some way. They might be asked to write a statement describing their feelings and preferences about having a new brother or sister, or, at the very least, will be interviewed by the agency or social worker.
The agency or social worker commonly asks questions such as how the children do in school, any interests or hobbies, what their friends are like, and how their behavior is rewarded or disciplined. However, the emphasis will be on how the children see a new sibling (or siblings) fitting into the family. A child's input is usually quite important in the overall assessment of a family's readiness to adopt. The agency or social worker will want to make sure that an adopted child will be immediately wanted and loved by all family members.
