Home Study Services in California

What is a Home Study?

A home study is a screening process of the prospective adopting parents to ensure that they can provide a safe, stable & loving home to nurture a child. The home study process also helps our social workers understand the types of adoption opportunities that are appropriate for each specific family. During the process, our social workers can answer questions and provide resources & education to help families prepare for parenthood.

How does the Home Study Process Work?

As a Licensed Adoption Agency, Family Network Adoption Center (FNAC) has been conducting home studies across California for nearly 45 years. The speed of the home study is set by the prospective adopting parents. The average time of completion is anywhere from 1 to 6 months, but primarily depends on how quickly the adoptive family completes & turns in their home study paperwork. Once the background checks & all home study paperwork are submitted to FNAC, it takes approximately 3 weeks for the home study report to be completed. During those 3 weeks the actual home study is constructed, reviewed for accuracy by the adoptive family & the placing agency and any revisions are made. Since parenting is one of the most powerful portals for self-growth, the home study process is a wonderful opportunity to begin self-reflection, explore future parenting plans & impact generations to come!

Family Network Adoption Center’s social workers recognize that no one is perfect and create an accepting & understanding atmosphere. This is an educational process, usually conducted in the privacy of the family’s home and is designed to assist families in fulfilling their dream of adopting a child, providing of course, that the family can provide a safe & stable home for a child.

The majority of the home study process involves collecting documents & completing paperwork about the prospective adoptive parents’ background & current situation, as well as fulfilling educational requirements. While the home study experience can be lengthy, Family Network Adoption Center offers support, guidance & expertise throughout the entire home study and adoption process.

Home Study Checklist

  •  Application & initial documents are sent to Family Network Adoption Center (FNAC)

  • Social worker contacts adopting parents to schedule the first interview in the home

  • Social worker completes the first interview with the adopting parents (approximately 1 – 1.5 hours) & provides an overview of all documents required for FNAC to prepare the home study

  • Adopting parents complete the necessary home study paperwork & parent education

  • Social worker schedules the second home study visit once the adopting parents complete & submit the paperwork to FNAC

  • Social worker & adopting parents complete the second interview that goes through the required documents, discusses personal & family history, marriage, parenting, adoption issues, bonding & attachment + grief & loss (takes approximately 3-4 hours)

  • Any remaining home study requirements are completed

  • After all paperwork is submitted, FNAC will prepare the 8-15 page home study report. It usually takes approximately 3 weeks to complete the home study report

  • A draft of the home study is emailed to adopting parents for review

  • The completed home study is mailed to the Agency/Attorney involved in the adoption

Post-Adoption Services

California adoption post-placement visits typically take place over a period of about six months, although the schedule and number of post adoption visits vary depending on the agency / state.

During the post-placement visits, an adoption social worker follows up with the adoptive family and child to make sure that they are adjusting well and have the support and resources that they need. The social worker then prepares a written report about the adopted child, which is sent to the agency / state in order to finalize the adoption.