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Homestudy Updates


Guest jandlcorn

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My husband and I are just starting the adoption process. Actually we are still in the process of trying to find someone to do our home study.

We just relocated because of my husband's job to Pittsburgh, PA and have not found a home yet. Should we wait until we find a house before starting the home study process? Or should that not be a primary concern right now?

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

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When we adopted our second and third daughters, we were in temporary housing (an 800 square foot cabin and then a 900 square foot apt.). We were in the process of building our current home, and our social worker just noted that in the homestudy. He did visit our new homesite, review our house plans, and then described in the report what our new home would be like (number of bedrooms, neighborhood, etc.) and when our approx. move date would be. I think the primary concern is that you currently have a roof over your head, that you will continue to have a roof over your head for the foreseeable future, and that the "roof" you have provides a safe and nurturing environment for the child.

Edited by FeelingBlessed
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Thanks so much for your response! That really puts my mind at ease that we won't have to wait until we build or find a home. biggrin.gif

Edited by dbernados
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Guest Elly&Matt

I don't know if it's different in your state, but in WI we had to meet with our social worker 4 times,and only the last one was at our house. There is so much preliminary work to be done like your background checks, reference letters, dr. appts etc. that I think you have plenty of time before they do the actual home visit. I'd start sooner than later because some of the background checks can take a while. Good luck with it!

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The lady that did our home study in Memphis just cared about the fact that we had a roof. She really didn't care about the house. Plus, she only came by one to look at the house, the other visits were at her office.

Good luck with your plans!

Just know, where there is a will there is a way.

laugh.giflaugh.giflaugh.gif

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Hi, Stephanie! Angela can check the standards for you, but I suspect you might have to look at a larger home, because I know that foster care regulations require so many square feet of sleeping room per so many people...? Hmmm.

As far as renting vs. owning your home, however, that makes no difference; what matters is that you have a safe and clean place to live and you manage your budget sufficiently to support a child from infancy to adulthood.

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  • 3 months later...

To start the homestudy before or after orientation - that is the question.

Personally, I was really glad that we started ours before orientation. Some social workers take their time getting the report written up. Abrazo moves so fast sometimes and there is nothing more anxiety provoking than realizing some adoption opportunities are passing you by. We were matched within several weeks following orientation and I was glad we didn't have to hurry to get things done or missed our chance to match.

If you do decide to get started before orientation, make sure you get a copy of Abrazo's homestudy requirements to give to your social worker.

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Andy and others,

There are pros and cons to starting before or after orientation. One of the cons of starting "too" early is that most reports are only good for one year from the date they are completed. Had we done our background checks (Texas--and actually Abrazo does them for Texans) earlier we would not have been able to adopt the second time because they were good for only one more day on he day we took placement of Abigail. Physicals and other reports have to keep being updated if the process happens to take more than a year from when you get those done. Obviously, many adoptions go faster rather than slower with Abrazo, but at least one of my friends who went through another agency began the process when we did with Samuel (so, summer 2003) and their daughter is younger than Abigail (fall 2004), so time can be a factor.

Mostly, I think it's good to have all your ducks in a row. Start looking for social workers. Sometimes you'll have to schedule visits months in advance depending on how busy your chosen worker is. Start getting your finances together and knowing hard data on them to provide to both Abrazo and for your homestudy. Start getting pictures together of what you might want to use for your profile to represent yourself to others.

Once you've got paperwork in to Abrazo and had communication back, that's the time to start kicking it into gear. Abrazo has paperwork to give to your social worker, so you might want that ahead of time to provide, etc.

Start reading now. You will not have time to read the good books later, so hit your library, bookstore, or Amazon.com. Somewhere on the forum is a list of recommended reading. Your social worker may have recommendations (or requirements), too.

Find a local support group or just start quizzing your friends who have families through adoption. No question is too stupid, just try to be sensitive and don't ask questions in a way that you'll read some of us have been offended. If you start every conversation with, "I'm really interested in beginning the adoption process myself. Can you tell me about yours?" you'll get yourself out on the right foot.

Okay, I think that's all the recommendations I have in this for the moment. Don't panic that you don't or won't have enough done. The child that is meant to be yours is preset with the perfect timing for you, already. Trust. Have faith. Get busy.

Christina

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have a question about finger prints. No where do I see in the Abrazo paperwork (although there is alot so I may have overlooked it), our home study paperwork or the Texas home study requirements that there is a requirement for finger prints. Our social worker said that is typically done with International adoptions. Can anyone shed some light on that? I have everything else in the works but don't want that to hold us up.

Thanks!

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Fingerprints were required as part of our homestudy here in Texas. We drove up to Austin, had them done at the TX Dept of Public Safety HQ in the morning, and the results were back by afternoon. We then handcarried the results to our Social Worker.

I think that the fingerprints are probably still required. The laws are probably in effect to ensure that you're not a convicted felon, on parole or on probation.

Maybe they are not required in Pennsylvania, and so your local social worker is not aware of this.

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We had our fingerprints done at the State level and also with the FBI, your social worker should be able to help you.

If you live out of state, you will need to get your fingerprints done with the FBI, here's some information for you...

Here's the website for the FBI with all the information

http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/fprequest.htm

We FEDEX our form to the following address

FBI CJIS Division - Record Request

1000 Custer Hollow Road

Clarksburg, West Virginia 26306

It took about 4 weeks for them to come back.

I Hope that helps!

Paula

Edited by S&P Express
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Thanks for the information!

28077[/snapback]

Hey guys,

We had to do our fingerprints at this place called Sagem Morpho that actually is all computerized. It was pretty cool you put your hands on this machine and it scans them in. When we started our homestudy almost 2 years ago they had just switched over to this new system and we were told that eventually everyone from teachers, day-care workers and everyone working with kids will have to be part of this new system (or so we were told) as well as all state and federal people. Maybe that is just Jersey?

Sandi

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Hi Sandi ... when my husband and I joined Abrazo in 1994 we just had to go our local police station to get our fingerprints taken ... two years ago I started a job at an elementary school and had to go to Sagem Morpho ... it was pretty cool how they did it there. It may be just for New Jersey.

Edited by weadoptedthree
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If we send it through the FBI it will take 6-8 weeks to get the results back. I know in Tennessee they have an agency called Identix that gets the results back within 48 hours. Does anyone know of something like this in the North?

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Sandi,

How quickly did you get the results back?

28215[/snapback]

Hi Tony and Donna,

Honestly it was about 2 years ago that we had them done so I don't remember. However, I would bet that we have to re-do them for Texas qualifications so I will let you know. Hey if a place can do them more quickly, go for it. Personally, I dont know why we have to re-do them if they are scanned in? Why cant they just re-run our prints to see that we are still OK (legally)? But whatever needs to be done we will do.

On another note, is it superbowl crazy out in Pittsburgh? I know you guys are going to the game, you must be excited. My Giants as usual looked great and then "fell" on their faces when the going got tough.

Since I don't have any team to root for, I will root for yours. Plus they are an east coast team.

SO GO STEELERS!!! biggrin.gif

Sandi

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If we send it through the FBI it will take 6-8 weeks to get the results back.  I know in Tennessee they have an agency called Identix that gets the results back within 48 hours.  Does anyone know of something like this in the North?

28216[/snapback]

We live just across the state line in Mississippi now, but my husband and I went to Identix in Memphis to be fingerprinted for our current home study. My prints, however, could not be read!! My hands are so dry from always washing them, that they were too light. Bummer! I'm supposed to go and try again, but if that doesn't work, I 'll be doing it the old way which could take awhile. I too wonder why they can't just run our prints from when we adopted the first time. It's not like they've changed or anything! tongue.gifbiggrin.gif

Good luck to all!

Edited by suebee
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We live just across the state line in Mississippi now, but my husband and I went to Identix in Memphis to be fingerprinted for our current home study. My prints, however, could not be read!! My hands are so dry from always washing them, that they were too light. Bummer! I'm supposed to go and try again, but if that doesn't work, I 'll be doing it the old way which could take awhile. I  too wonder why they can't just run our prints from when we adopted the first time. It's not like they've changed or anything!  tongue.gif  biggrin.gif

Good luck to all!

28408[/snapback]

Suebee,

They told me to make sure we put lotion on our hands before we get the prints done....it's supposed to keep that from happening.

Hope it works this time. smile.gif

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triciamom,

Thanks for the suggestion. I will definitely try that...sure don't want it taking 6-8 weeks!! biggrin.gif

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So you used Identix and they were able to get your husband's results back quickly? When I called Identix they were confused which made me more confused. We go to Memphis several times a year (we will be there again in March) and thought we might go to Identix while we are there so expedite the process. I am putting our fingerprints in the mail today though just so we can get that started in case the other doesn't work.

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Donna,

We used IDENTIX in Memphis and we have already been waiting 2 weeks for the results. The lady told us that it could take 3-4 weeks. They scanned our prints in. Our social worker told us they should mail something to the house soon. I wouldn't count on them helping you to expedite the process. It seems this is just one more chink in the waiting game.

Hope this helps.

Tina

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So you used Identix and they were able to get your husband's results back quickly? 

28587[/snapback]

His results were mailed directly to the local agency we are working with. Although, I'm not sure exactly when they got them, I know our social worker had them when she came for our home visit which was 13 days after he was "scanned" at Identix.

I'm going tomorrow to have mine rescanned...I hope it works this time. I have been using lotion like crazy!! biggrin.gif

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