When preparing to foster or adopt, you will need to participate in a home study assessment before a child can join your home. You might wonder what exactly a home study assessment entails or feel slightly nervous to begin. Let me help demystify the process for you!
A home study assessment is an evaluation to illuminate a potential families strengths and issues for concern to ensure that a child joining a family will be safe with his or her new parents.
Typically, a home study includes 2-4 in person interviews with a social worker followed by an inspection of your physical space.
During the interview process, the social worker will collect background information on the prospective parents including everything from childhood development to physical health to current communication styles between partners.
The interviews usually take place in your home and last about one-two hours each. Depending on the format of the assessment, the social worker may ask you to complete several questionnaires or ask you to write a short autobiography of your experiences as a child and within your family of origin.
Once the information collection phase is completed, the social worker and her agency will evaluate the information and then compile a written report called the Home Study.
You might wonder why is all this personal information necessary?
The assessor wants to see that you have resolved issues from your past and aren’t currently overwhelmed by stress that could impact your ability to parent a child. If needed, the social worker may recommend couples or individual counseling to help you prepare to become a parent. If therapy is recommended this does not mean you are ruled out or failed your assessment, it is merely a way to strengthen your foundation before a child joins your home.
Parenting can be extremely challenging, and often more so when a child joins your family through foster care or adoption. A willingness to work on issues that could impact your parenting ability is an incredible sign that you are already committed to being a parent!
As you work approach your journey towards becoming a foster or adoptive parent, contact me for more information about supportive counseling services.
Here’s some links to helpful info:
http://www.safehomestudy.org/SAFE/SAFE-Overview.aspx