Adopting a child is one way to grow your family and provide a loving home for a child who needs you. If you want to adopt a child, you may have to go through a home study or a pre-placement assessment.
During a home study, an agent must interview every adult in your family to determine if you are suitable to adopt the child.
Do you have to go through the pre-placement assessment?
There are situations where you do not have to go through the pre-placement assessment. If you go through an adoption agency, you must go through a home study. However, you do not need a home study if you are a child’s family member. Lastly, stepparents who lived with the child for over two years do not have to undergo the assessment before adoption.
What happens during the pre-placement assessment?
The main goal of social services during the home study is to determine whether you have a suitable household. First, you will have to answer questions about the household. You need to name every person who lives within the house and the different relationships of your family.
The assessment includes personalities and spiritual beliefs too. Social workers want to see how the personalities and beliefs of the people in your life will impact the adopted child. The most important elements of the assessment include determining whether you have a financially stable and mentally stable home. You must understand what your child needs from you and be able to advocate for your child.
During the assessment, the adults in your home must also have criminal background checks to ensure the child’s safety.
