Opt To Adopt
A Guide To
Understanding Your
Adoption Options Before
Selecting An
Agency or Adoption Attorney

Most people do just fine in the adoption home study. Here are some pointers for making the home study work for you.

1. Honesty counts. This is the first step in an important relationship. Don’t cover something up that may be found out later and cause the social worker not to trust you. One of Sue’s friends worried about whether she should be honest and tell her social worker that she had been sexually abused as a child. Sue encouraged her to be upfront. So she did, telling the social worker her whole story, very candidly. Later, when she revealed to the social worker that she had been nervous about admitting to being a victim of abuse, the social worker replied, “You can’t control what happened to you as a child. You’re not at fault. You also told me that you sought counseling to deal with your feelings about the abuse. That tells me that you know how to solve a problem and you’re not afraid of dealing with hard issues. This information is very positive as far as I’m concerned.”



2. Of course it’s hard to relax but do keep in mind that the social worker is your support and your advocate. He or she will need to be sure that a child will be safe in your home but, in our experience, if the social worker finds something out of order, he or she is likely to help you figure out how to correct it.



3. Use the adoption home study as a real opportunity to explore your feelings and get on the same page as your partner.



4. Take the time to answer questions fully and think through your responses.



5. Remember that the reason that you are going through this adoption home study is that you want to be a parent. It’s worth it.



6. Remember as well that the social worker’s first priority will be the safety and care of the child that will be placed in your care. When you answer questions or talk about the adoption, think in terms of what’s best for your prospective child and you will always be doing and saying the right thing.

Once the adoption home study is complete and your paperwork is done, you are on your way! What’s next? Now, you learn how to wait.