Checklist for Adoptive Families: Preparing for Your Home Study

Preparing for a home study can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Think of it as the beginning of your adoption story, not just a checklist of tasks. Here's a warm, step-by-step guide to help you feel confident and prepared before that first visit.

Step 1: Understand the Purpose of the Home Study

• It's not about being perfect. It’s about making sure a child will be safe, loved, and cared for.
  
  
• Your caseworker wants to get to know you, not judge your furniture or spotless floors.
  
  

Step 2: Gather Your Paperwork

• Driver’s licenses & birth certificates
  
  
• Marriage certificate (if applicable)
  
  
• Recent tax returns or pay stubs
  
  
• Medical records showing you’re physically and mentally able to care for a child
  
  
• Background checks & fingerprinting (your agency will help with this!)
  
  
• Pet vaccination records (yes, even your dog matters!)
  
  

Tip: Start a folder to keep it all in one place — you’ll thank yourself later.

Step 3: Prepare Your Home (But Don’t Panic)

• Make sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are installed and working
  
  
• Cover electrical outlets, secure cabinets, and check for other basic safety measures
  
  
• Clean, organized, and functional is more important than “magazine perfect.”
  
  
• You don’t need a fully decorated nursery yet,  just a plan for where the baby will sleep
  
  

Step 4: Be Ready to Share Your Story

• The caseworker may ask about your upbringing, your relationship, and your motivation to adopt
  
  
• Be open and honest. There’s no right answer, just your answer
   
• If you're nervous, it’s okay to say so, you’re human
  
  

Step 5: Complete Required Training

• Most agencies require adoptive parents to complete parenting and adoption-related courses
  
  
• Topics may include trauma-informed care, attachment, and open adoption
  
  
• These sessions are valuable, not just check-the-box tasks. You’ll learn a lot
  
  

Step 6: Prepare for the Interviews

• You’ll have individual and joint interviews with your caseworker
  
  
• Be yourself. This isn’t a test
  
  
• Talk openly about how you plan to parent, discipline, and support a child
  
  
• If you're adopting as a single parent or part of a non-traditional family, know that diversity is welcome
  
  

Step 7: Ask Questions, Too

• This is a relationship, not a one-way street. Ask your caseworker:
  
  
• How long does the process usually take?
  
  
• What happens after the home study is approved?
  
  
• How does your agency match families with children?
  
  
• Don’t be afraid to ask about things that are on your heart.
  
  

Final Thoughts

The adoption home study is one of the most meaningful parts of the adoption process. It's a chance to reflect, grow, and prepare to welcome a child into your life. Take it one step at a time, you're not alone.