Definitions for "Homestudy"
A three-part process required before a child can be placed with a family for foster care or adoption: (1) Written portion includes autobiographies, references, medical reports, financial statements, child abuse and criminal clearances and other written materials; (2) Social work process includes a series of visits in the applicants' home to discuss a variety of issues from the applicant's background to their motivations to adopt and their understanding of adoption and parenting; (3) Educational process includes training in adoption and parenting issues. The end result of this process is a written document completed by a licensed agency giving a summary of the applicant's family life. This document indicates approval of the applicant for adoption (or foster care). It must be updated annually.
includes an assessment of the prospective adoptive parents and an educational component to prepare the family to meet the needs of the child to be adopted
A homestudy is sometimes called a "family assessment," and is a written report containing the findings of a social worker who has met on several occasions with the prospective adoptive parents, has visited their home, and who has investigated the health, medical, criminal, family and home background of the adoptive parents. If there are other individuals that are also living in the home of the adoptive parents, they will be interviewed and investigated, if necessary, by the social worker and included as part of the homestudy. The purpose of the homestudy is to help the court determine whether the adoptive parents are qualified to adopt a child, based on the criteria that have been established by state law.
a process of education and self-evaluation