Home Study Update

What is a home study update?
A home study is required for both domestic and international adoptions. It is a close study of the adoptive parent(s) home and those who dwell in that residence. Initial home studies require several meetings with a case worker that involve MANY questions (family history, personal history, marriage (if married), finances, parenting, medical history, etc.). The initial visit also involves TONS of paperwork and documentation (fingerprints, GBI papers, medicals, bios, home checklist, family and personal history, etc. - many of the same pieces of information that come up in the home study questioning steps). The first visits with a case worker are away from the home, but the final one is held at the adoptive parent(s) home. This allows a case worker to check the safety and condition of the home. Then the case worker compiles all of the home study notes and writes the home study (a long document that puts all of the home study information into paragraphs to make the adoptive parent(s) look good on paper). A home study is only valid for one year. A home study update involves updating paperwork and a home visit. Then the case worker must rewrite or change the home study document. Our first home study document was around 11 single-spaced typed pages!

What's involved in a home study update?
- Scheduling a visit. Our visit was scheduled later than it needed to be because I wanted to finish out the semester. Then our case worker had to reschedule because she was with a birth mom at the hospital at the time of our originally-scheduled visit. In hindsight, June 20th was God's perfect timing for our home study.
- Updating paperwork. We had to complete the following paperwork for our update: medical form, home safety checklist, dog vaccine documentation, child preference checklist, racial questionnaire, confidentiality form, copies of birth and marriage certificates, family history form, tax papers, a 13-page formal application, and salvation testimonies. Some of these papers weren't on file yet because our previous home study was accepted and used.
- Another payment - $400.
- Preparations of the home for the visit.
- Completing the home visit.
- Waiting for the case worker to write the home study update.

What preparations must be made for a home study update?
- Completion of paperwork (includes a doctor visit).
- Getting the house ready (making sure the house is clean and safe). As usual, I did more than I needed to. I even reorganized our hall closet, but that wasn't necessary.
- Prayer

What is a home study update visit like?
Our home study visit was worshipful and special. Our case worker arrived at 10:30 and stayed until at least 12:00. Most of the visit took place on our living room couch as Eric and I shared all that God had been teaching us during our time of waiting. We also shared about our feelings and experiences throughout the process. Our case worker asked us some questions, but nothing as grueling as our first home study. Our case worker also gave us words of encouragement. We found out that even though we hadn't been chosen yet to her knowledge, out portfolio has been shown. It was a HUGE encouragement to us to know that our portfolio has at least gone across a table somewhere. After our time of couch conversation, we gave our case worker a tour of our home.  

What does it mean that the home study update visit is complete?
Having an updated home study means that all our paperwork is current for us to adopt. Our home study update has been written, but we still have some additional forms to complete that we recently found out about. We also have to get a medical form completed for our exchange student as well as have another home visit so our case worker can meet our exchange student. There's always something. :)