Home Study Services

Every individual or couple planning to adopt is required to complete an adoption homestudy by California law. As a licensed agency, Adoption Connection is happy to provide this service and help prepare your family to bring home a baby.

Adoption Connection is licensed to complete homestudies in the following California counties: Alameda, Amador, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Marin, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba.

Whether you plan to work exclusively with Adoption Connection, or are considering working with an adoption attorney, adoption center, or adoption facilitator, we can work with you to complete a homestudy.

Ready to get started? If you live in one of the counties listed above, call our Assistant Director of Operations at 415-359-2491 or contact us.

Homestudy Frequently Asked Questions

What is an adoption homestudy and what is its purpose?

California law—and all states—legally require that adopting families talk to a professional about their life history and readiness in adopting in order to make sure that every child placed with a family is going to a safe, stable, and loving home. A homestudy is a written report completed by an adoption social worker, which follows the state’s homestudy regulations and guidelines. Adoption Connection provides an easy online homestudy application so adopting families can organize and complete much of their paperwork on a password protected web platform.

What is required to pass a homestudy?

Many families considering adoption are concerned that the homestudy process will be intrusive and excruciating, and passing the homestudy will take many months and mounds of paperwork. Not so! Although there is certainly paperwork, clients who have completed their homestudy with Adoption Connection tell us that they received valuable resources, personal insights and support, and feel better prepared to adopt a baby at the end of the homestudy process.

How long does the homestudy take to complete?

From start to finish, a homestudy typically takes about three months. We can complete an expedited homestudy for adoptive parents matched with en expectant mother whose due date is fast approaching.

What if I’m working with an adoption attorney or other adoption professional?

Adoption Connection is happy to complete your homestudy if you are planning to work with another adoption professional. Once the homestudy is done, we can send it along to your professional, and it can typically be used for any infant adoption situation.

Must I own my home to adopt?

No. The most important requirement for adoptive parents is that they are loving, stable, and ready to parent. During the homestudy a social worker visit your house, apartment, or condo, whether you rent or own.

What if I/we have additional concerns about health or background history?

We encourage families considering adoption to be as candid and forthcoming as possible with us about any concerns. Like all people, individuals and couples considering adoption come to this process with their own share of worries and foibles. Common concerns include criminal background history and/or health history. Contact us if you have any concerns about how this history might affect your homestudy process before you get started.

Is there anything I/we can do now to prepare for the home visit?

No. There is no preparation involved. The purpose of the home visit is to visit with you informally in surroundings in which you are most comfortable. We do not perform a “white glove test” or peer into closets, we promise. We don’t require baby proofing and a nursery in your home at the time of the home visit. But we’ll discuss your future plans for child safety and a child’s own space during the visit.

What if we have a match and need a homestudy really fast?

If an adoptive family is currently participating in an active adoption plan with an expectant mother who is scheduled to give birth very soon, we can likely conduct an expedited adoption homestudy. We will make sure that your homestudy is completed and that you are legally prepared in a last-minute adoption.

What do I have to do to get started on an adoption homestudy?

The first step is to complete Adoption Connection’s homestudy application. If you’ve already attended an Open Adoption Orientation or you are working with an adoption attorney or adoption facilitator and you would like to request an application, please call Christina DeLeon, our Administrative Manager of Adoptions, at 415-359-2491 or contact us.

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