I noticed on one of my groups the posting from parents just entering the adoption process and how nervous they were about their first home visit. My heart goes out to them – I remember it all too well. Rebecca’s father and I spent months preparing our home for that visit – we painted, we scrubbed, we shampooed carpets, we overhauled every closet in the house and even scrubbed garbage cans till they sparkled! I vividly remember getting pulled over by a police officer for not stopping completely at a stop sign – I had gone to borrow the edger... more

The home study unnerved me the most during my first adoption – after all I had looked at this person as the “one” who would say I was fit or unfit to parent a child. I think EVER inch of my house was cleaned and my yard looked picture perfect. During my second and third adoption – I had the amazing experience of a wonderful social worker who talked and worked as a team with my husband and I! I guess the use of the Internet really paid off in that case (I had posted and asked about a local home study coordinator) and was directed to this wonderful person.

There are a few things everyone needs to remember about the home study --- your agency may have policies and procedures in place... more