Home Study Studies International Adoption - International Child Foundation, Inc.

We have social workers in Phoenix, Tucson, northern and southern Arizona who are skilled, compassionate and reliable. Many are adoptive parents, themselves.

Home Study services throughout Arizona We believe the home study is about You -- your feelings about adoption, your personal history, your expectations and your philosophy of parenting. We work with families to understand the process, the risks and the joys of adoption.

We visit with you a minimum of two times; more, if you are adopting from China. One visit will be at your home. Each family member will have a private conversation with the social worker, as well as group discussions.

This is a great opportunity to explore your feelings. Be open to thinking about parenting from a wide angle. International and domestic adoption provide many things to think about, read about and talk about, as a family.

General Home Study Guidelines
In Arizona, your home study must
• Meet all state requirements and be certified by the court
• Be amended if there are significant changes in residence, marital status, criminal history, finances, health, or the number of dependents
• Discuss the potential for delays and changes in the process and costs
• Discuss risks associated with adopting children with limited or unverifiable medical, psycho-social and developmental histories
• Recommend the age, number and sex of children appropriate for the family

For International Adoptions
The home study must meet US CIS requirements, including
• Be no more than six months old upon submission to US CIS; if so, the home study needs to be updated
• The home study must recommend a specific country that the family plans to adopt from, which correlates with their US CIS application

Once your family is approved by US CIS, the approval is valid for eighteen months. If the adoption is not completed within 12 months of the home study approval date, a home study update is required.

It's not over yet... Post Placement Reports
Most countries, states and agencies require one or more post placement visits after the adoption is complete. This is not to intrude upon your space. It is to support you, observe the child's adjustment and development, to listen and give you helpful feedback and ideas. Then a brief report is written and submitted to you child's country of origin. It lets them know your child is adjusting to family life in the US. Post placement reports are $300 for one child or $350 for two or more children.

When the Home Study is Complete
• Ask your social worker to give you one (1) original, notarized home study. If you are adopting from Russia, ask for two (2) original, notarized copies.
• Make a photocopy of the home study for your records. Hand carry that photocopy with you when you travel to the foreign country.

Referral and Support Services
It is normal and expected for children to present some transition issues, such as crying or difficulty re-establishing sleep patterns. But if your child appears to be having persistent difficulty with swallowing, sleeping, making eye contact, being held, maintaining attention, expressing appropriate emotions, wandering off, being physically appropriate with other children or adults, or presents other kinds of perplexing behavior, please call us. Don't wait. There is no charge for a phone consultation. We won't think you are over-reacting and we will applaud you for calling! If it is appropriate for us to set up a visit, we will. If it is more appropriate to refer you to a medical doctor, sensory integration therapist, attachment therapist or neuro-psychologist, we will. We want you to have the best support available.

Our commitment to you extends beyond when your home study and adoption are done.

International Child Foundation Adoption & Home Study Services