| Families are often demoralized by the immense | | | | submitted by the social worker and is 5-6 pages. The |
| paperwork needed for the home study method of | | | | social worker incorporates information gathered from |
| international adoption. I usually inform families that | | | | the interviews and home tourand the documents |
| though the list seems complex, it is achievable and | | | | that have been submitted as part of the paperwork. |
| can be done fairly swiftly, if a family can get their | | | | The home study is signed by both the social worker |
| paperwork together quickly. The approximate time to | | | | and the executive director and notarized. |
| get a home study done is between 6 weeks and 2 | | | | After the home study is completed, it is ready to go |
| months. I often tell families that there are two | | | | to immigration. Those families who are adopting from |
| components to the home study. The first phase is | | | | countries who have not signed the Hague Convention |
| completing the paperwork, to submit items such as: | | | | submit their application and the related fees to the |
| fingerprint clearances, physicals, collecting financial | | | | local USCIS office prior to the home study. After the |
| information, birth certificates, marriage certificates, | | | | study is done they will submit it alongwith the |
| and reference letters. Another new thing to these | | | | necessary fingerprints and after the USCIS approves |
| requirements is ten hours of parent education | | | | it the approval will be sent to the family as well as |
| preparation courses, which can be done through | | | | the National Visa center and the country from where |
| on-line courses or in person. It is very helpful that | | | | the child is being adopted |
| clients contact Adoption Options or any other home | | | | Families adopting from Hague Convention countries |
| study agency when they receive their home study | | | | must wait to submit their Application for |
| list and packet so that the items can be reviewed. | | | | Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a |
| The second phase of the home study process is the | | | | Convention Country (I-800A) including the application |
| discussion with the social worker. Each family is | | | | and fingerprint fees and attachments until their home |
| assigned a social worker who will come to your home | | | | study has been finished. At that time, the home |
| to do a home tour for the purpose of interviewing | | | | study including the aforementioned documents should |
| and meeting all the members of the family. This is | | | | be sent to the centralized USCIS lock box. The home |
| also a way for the social worker to help educate the | | | | study will then be transferred to the National Benefits |
| family on international adoption and internationally | | | | Center where an adjudicating officer will review the |
| adopted children. | | | | home study. Once approved by USCIS, the |
| Once the home study paperwork for international | | | | adjudicating officer will issue an approval called I-797C. |
| adoption has been submitted and the clients have | | | | At this stage the family can receive a referral of a |
| had a meeting with their social worker, the home | | | | child from a Hague Convention country. |
| study document is prepared. The report is usually | | | | |