WHAT’S INSIDE Who must be included in the home studyAgency or person conducting the study Qualifications for adoptive parents Elements of a home study Grounds for withholding approvalWhen studies must be completed Postplacement study requirements Exceptions for stepparent or relative adoptionsRequirements for interjurisdictional placementsFoster to adopt placementsSummaries of State lawsTo find statute information for a particular State, go to https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/state/.
Laws and policies for approving prospective adoptive homes vary considerably from State to State. In all cases, the process involves conducting an assessment or home study of the prospective adoptive parent or parents. The home study process serves many purposes, including educating and preparing the prospective parents for parenting an adopted child, gathering information about the family in order to better match the parent and child, and evaluating the fitness of the adoptive family.