home study visit

Before going through the adoption process I thought a home study consisted of one visit to your home and that was it. Well actually it all of this:

..a 23-hour education and self-assessment process. It explores communication styles. It helps families to understand the feelings of grief and the loss that children can experience. It helps identify family strengths and in what situations you can most successfully parent. In general, the home study process is a combination of education for you about the realities of adoption and information about yourself and your family. The final written home study will include a description of your family, verifications, medical and financial statements and references. You will also be asked to identify and describe the type of child you feel that you can successfully parent. (http://www.adoptuskids.org/for-families/state-adoption-and-foster-care-information/tennessee)

So last Thursday was the final written part of the home study.  This was the part where Rhonda our adoption specialist comes in and checks out our home and describes it. I thought she was going to look through our drawers and closets and take out a white glove and inspect all out furniture for dust. But that was not the case.

First I greeted her at the door with a hug. She’s kind of like a long lost relative because he knows all our business.  We talked for a while and we introduced her to Louie Dog Pitcher.

She seemed to like him. Louie loved her because well he’s never met a human he didn’t like. Then she asked us to show her around the house. She walked around with her clipboard and wrote down the facts of each room of our home. Like how many windows and closets are in each room. She asked for the number of fire alarms in the house, dead bolts and then asked to see the fire extinguisher.  That's all folks!

 

Finally we sat down and went over our service plan again to see if we wanted to change anything. What’s a service plan you ask? Well it’s the plan where the adoptive parents specifically outline the child that would make a good fit in their family. The ethnic and racial makeup and age of the child are a few of the things on the service plan.  For example, we would like an infant but we are also open to multiple births. This includes any other siblings.

I asked how long will all the paperwork take to finalize and it takes 30 business days. Then we get a letter in the mail that says that our home study is finalized! This piece a paper will be used to apply for grants and loans. Now this home study is good for a year and if we don’t adopt in a year we have to update our home study. That requires fees and such-more money. After finalization our photo book is shown to birth families and our profile becomes active on line for anyone to view. Don’t worry I’ll share the link when it’s up. She also said that if she has any news, like a family that wants to meets us she will call.

We handed over $1450.00 to process the paperwork and a check for $140.00 for all three of our background checks. Thank you for your donations we didn’t have to worry about writing those checks. Once the home study is finalized we have to send Bethany a check for $2500.00. So, if you are planning/willing to donate this would be a good time. Those donations mean the world to us!

 

After an hour Rhonda left. We won’t see her until we meet with a birth family. I’m gonna miss seeing her! Maybe we will see her sooner than we think- who knows. Now it’s all in GOD’s hands.

So now I need to get our photo book together! All those photos I’ve taken through the years are going to play off -I hope. In the front cover we need to write a letter to the birthmother.  Hopefully those words will come easily. Tim's mission to look up grants and loans to fund the rest of the adoption cost.

Now we wait.