HOME STUDIES

• Agape Adoptions completes home studies for Hague and Non-Hague International Adoptions
• We are Hague accredited and have completed home studies for placements from all over the world.  
• If you live in Alaska, Oregon or Washington, we are able to complete your home study, whether we are your placing agency or you are working with another placing agency. 
• We work closely with placing agencies to ensure all of their requirements are met in a timely manner.

As you begin your adoption journey, the first item that must be completed is a home study, which results in a pre-placement report. The home study report is a required document for all adoptions. It will represent your family in court or with the foreign adoption authority. A home study report is an overview of who you are. It provides information about you, your home, your lifestyle, adoption preparation and readiness, financial situation, health and biographical information. During the home study process, our social workers will not only be getting to know you, they will also be providing you with information and resources to ensure that you are well prepared for the challenges of adoptive parenting. Our goal is a successful adoption journey for all of the children and families we serve. As a small agency, Agape Adoptions is able to provide attentive service to guide you through this foundational process. The home study process includes adoption education, interviews, document collection, background clearances, references, and at least one home visit.

Agape Adoptions completes all home studies in accordance with Hague and USCIS requirements. In order to serve families in an affordable and timely manner, Agape Adoptions has social workers based in Anchorage, the greater Seattle and Spokane areas, and in Oregon.

Reconsidering the Home Study, Part 1

Reconsidering the Home Study Part 2 

The time needed from first contact with us to a completed home study for adoption report depends partly on how quickly documents are received. The sooner you are able to provide them, the sooner your study can be completed.  Our usual practice is to schedule your home study visits once the majority of documents are returned, and your home study fee is paid. We will complete the home study report after all documentation is received and home visits completed. In most cases, families are in the home study process for three to five months. 

Home study for adoption fees: $2200

Travel fees will be charged for each visit.  These fees are dependent on a variety of factors and determined prior to the beginning of the home study process. Should an overnight stay be required, families are responsible for providing meals and lodging at a hotel with reasonable amenities. Contact us for a detailed fee schedule for home study services.

All Agape Adoptions families will have post adoption support and services upon arrival home with their new child.  

Families will receive a welcome home packet with important information and resources needed for this transition time, such as how to obtain a social security number or tax benefits and important medical considerations for your child. The packet will also contain a post adoption visit and report schedule, as determined by agency, country, and state requirements. Agape Adoption’s Post Adoption department  is available to answer questions about any of this information and will provide reminders when post adoption visits are due.    

Post adoption Agape Adoption’s Director of Social Services will contact each family by phone within one month of arrival home, to offer a listening ear and to give support, guidance, and resources as needed. The first days and weeks home with a new child can be a time of great excitement and joy, but they are also filled with a lot of change and transition, while working towards bonding and attachment. Every family's experience is unique. Our team is always available for help and support whenever a family needs us, both in the early days and beyond.

Each family’s social worker will visit their home at regular intervals to provide ongoing support and resources and to complete post adoption reports. These reports will be submitted to the foreign adoption authority with photos of the child, provided by the family. In addition to providing information on each specific child’s health and adjustment, the reports are a very important part of maintaining the relationship between the adoption authorities we work with. The Post Adoption reports are critical to keep doors open for families and future adoptions. Additional information regarding the importance of post placement reporting can be found: Adoption.state.gov 

Depending on your child’s country of origin, your child’s adoption may have been finalized in country or you may need to finalize your child’s adoption in your state of residence.  In the case of adoptions that were completed in the child’s country of origin, Agape Adoptions requires that families re-adopt their child in their state of residence as part of the post adoption process.  The re-adoption process will allow you to obtain a Unites States Adoption Decree and a United States issued Birth Certificate for your child to ensure legal verification of their adoption is readily and easily accessible throughout their lifetime.  If you live in the State of Washington, Agape Adoptions can complete this process for your family.  If you live outside the State of Washington, you may use an attorney to complete your re-adoption or contact your Home Study agency or your local court to inquire how to complete this process independently.  Detailed information regarding state finalization requirements can be found here.