Get Your Home Study in Indiana

A home study is one of the first concrete steps on your way to adoption placement.

Once the adoption home study is complete, you can begin matching with perspective birth mothers – sometimes within days.

So what are you waiting for? Fill out our quick form to start your home study process today.

Let’s review what a home study is, how to prepare for it, common questions, and how to fast track your process.

What is a Home Study in Indiana?

A home study is a process that ensures your home is a safe environment for a child. A licensed social worker visits your home and assesses the physical safety of your home and takes time to get to know you and your family.

For example, during a home visit a social worker may check for

smoke alarms,
locking doors and windows
and lead paint.

During the interview, they may also ask about

your work history,
how you respond to stress,
or what your goals are for the future.

They’ll also review important personal documents like

your driver’s license,
social security card
and tax returns.

Learn more about how you can prepare for a successful home study in Indiana.

Home Study for Adoption

Home studies for adoption are essentially no different than any other kind of home study. While different home study providers have small variations in methods, the legal requirements for an adoption home study are the same as any other scenario.

A notable caveat is baby-proofing; specifically for infant adoptions, you should baby-proof your home before the home study.

How to Prepare for an Adoption Home Study

Preparing for a home study may feel intimidating, but it’s actually very straight forward. We have many guides with step by step break downs and resources on how to prepare your home, but we’ll give you a basic overview here.

Gather the documents you’ll need, like your ID, Birth Certificate and Marriage License (if applicable). This guide has a comprehensive list of the documents you need.
Home studies usually request an autobiographical statement as well as a character statement from close friends. You’ll need 3 to 5 character statements.
Go around your hose and make sure that all your smoke alarms work, all your windows and doors can lock, and that any firearms or cleaning chemicals are secured and out-of-reach.
If you’re preparing your home for an infant adoption, you should go through the baby-proofing process before the home study. This can include gating off stairs, securing drawers and cabinets with child locks, covering outlets and placing padding over sharp corners of tables and other furniture. Check out our guide to baby-proofing for all the details.
This is an optional step, but it may help you feel more confident going into a home study if you practice answering interview questions with a friend or relative. You can find a list of questions a social worker will ask during a home study to help yourself prepare.

How to Fast Track Your Adoption Home Study in Indiana

The most impactful thing you can do to speed up your home study is to get in touch with a provider as soon as possible.

This does not mean your home study has to begin right away. You can schedule your home study at any point after getting in touch with a provider, but making contact has to come first.

If you’d like to complete your home study as quickly as possible, start your process by contacting our full-service agency.

Aside from contacting an agency, the best way to make sure the process goes as quickly as possible is to follow the steps outlined above as thoroughly as possible. This will make sure you can get through the process the first time, and won’t have to schedule follow up visits.

Remember, home studies have to be thorough. However, making sure you have your ducks in a row before hand will help expedite the process.

Why Choose a Licensed Provider for Your Home Study?

American Adoptions of Indiana is a state licensed agency, so we’re able to provide you with a home study as part of our comprehensive services. We’re proud to be able to help you through this important step in your adoption journey.

Why leave your home study to a stranger who knows nothing about you? We think you deserve dedicated staff familiar with your circumstances and personal story; with us, you’ll deal with the same few staff members from your free consultation all the way through to your post-adoption support.

There’s no better time to begin your home study process than right now. Start the process today by filling out this form.

FAQs About Adoption Home Studies

There will always be more to learn about. If you need more information about home studies, how to prepare or how to choose a provider, we have you covered.

Home studies up to 12 months old can be used in an adoption.
Home studies can cost up to $1500, but when you choose American Adoptions of Indiana as your home study provider, the cost is kept low by integrating it into the larger agency fee.
No, a felony conviction disqualifies residents of Indiana from providing foster care or adoption. Criminal records are checked during the home study process, which is required for Foster Care and Adoption.

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