The home study is one of the most important components of the adoption process. A poor home study can negatively impact your application for adoption. Here are some tips to help you prepare for the home study and leave a good impression with the social worker.
Understand What the Home Study Is Not
There are several misconceptions about the home study. For instance, some people believe that their home has to be 100 percent spotless and that the social worker is only there to determine why the family should not be allowed to adopt. Both of these are not true. In actuality, the social worker is there to ensure that you are prepared to safely care for a child.
The social worker is not expecting you to have a nursery set up or that your home is baby proof. He or she will not be looking in your closets or under your beds.
Take Safety Precautions
During the home study, the social worker is looking for such things as working fire alarms, space for the child, and fire extinguishers. The worker also will be looking for potential hazards, such as pools of water or guns. The worker will discuss how to safely handle those items before the arrival of your adopted child.
If you have pets in the home, the social worker will also want to ensure that the pets are vaccinated and friendly. Even though it is not required that your home is baby- or childproofed right now, the social worker will discuss how you can ensure your home is safe before the arrival of your child.
Prepare to Answer Personal and Parenting Questions
The social worker is also there to evaluate your parenting abilities and your personal characteristics to ensure that you are mentally and emotionally ready to care for a child. You might have to undergo an interview in your home and at the social worker's office.
During the interview, the social worker might present you with various parenting scenarios and ask you to discuss how you would handle those. It is important that you are honest and open with the social worker. If you are not sure about how to handle a certain situation, let him or her know. The social worker can provide you with invaluable advice that you can use once you do have your child in home.
The home study is important, but try to remain natural. Once you are past the home study, your family is one step closer to adopting a child. For more tips on getting through the adoption process, contact a company such as Law Office of Shelli Wright Johnson.
Share17 August 2015
Family attorneys are hired to help families through all sorts of things. Everything from divorce, child custody and adoption can be handled by a family attorney. If you are planning to adopt a child, you will need an attorney to help ensure that everything goes well. There are so many documents that need to filed, inspections to be performed and approvals to receive. This blog will cover all different kinds of cases and situations that a family attorney may be able to help your family with. Everything from the good to the bad will be discussed right here on my blog.
