| s starting on the home study process for an | | | | adoption has been submitted and the clients have |
| international adoption, are often unsettled by the | | | | met with their social worker, the home study |
| huge and complex amount of paperwork required | | | | document is prepared. This is usually a report of five |
| from them. I often inform families that though the list | | | | to eight pages and is written by the assigned social |
| looks daunting, it is completely do-able and can be | | | | worker. The information is extracted from the |
| done fairly speedily, if a family is able to get their | | | | interviews and the documentation provided by the |
| paperwork together hurriedly. Usually a home study | | | | family. This document is signed by both the social |
| can get done between 6 weeks and 2 months. I | | | | worker and the executive director and notarized. |
| often tell families that there are 2 components to the | | | | Once the home study is completed, it is ready to go |
| home study. The first phase is completing the | | | | to immigration. Families planning to adopt from |
| paperwork, to submit items such as: fingerprint | | | | non-Hague Convention countries can submit their |
| clearances, physicals, collecting financial information, | | | | Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition |
| birth certificates, marriage certificates, and reference | | | | (I-600A) along with application and fingerprint fees |
| letters. Another new thing to these requirements is | | | | and attachments to their local USCIS office before |
| ten hours of info courses for parents, which may be | | | | their home study is done. Once their home study is |
| studied online or in person. It is imperative that clients | | | | done, they will submit the home study to their local |
| contact Adoption Options or any other home study | | | | USCIS office to be linked with their I-600A and |
| agency when they come into possession of their | | | | fingerprints. Once approved by USCIS, the local |
| home study list and packet so that the items can be | | | | USCIS office will then send the family an approval |
| reviewed. Part two of the home study process is the | | | | called I-171H. This approval information will also be |
| discussion with the social worker. Every family | | | | sent to the National Visa Center as well as the |
| wanting to go for an international adoption is assigned | | | | country from which the family is adopting. |
| a social worker for the purpose of a home tour to | | | | The process when adopting from Hague Convention |
| interview and get to know all the family members. | | | | countries is different. In such cases the info and fees |
| This is also a way for the social worker to | | | | are submitted after the home study is finished. After |
| communicate issues related to international adoption | | | | the USCIS approves the documents and an officer at |
| and internationally adopted children. | | | | the National Benefits Center also approves it the |
| Once the home study paperwork for international | | | | family can go ahead with the adoption process. |