Home Study & Qualifications

During the home study process, your social worker will evaluate your ability to meet the physical, developmental, emotional and educational needs of a child and will write a written report stating the social worker’s conclusions as to the characteristics of children which your home can safely accommodate and which you can best serve.

Bright Futures Adoption Center believes that the home study process is not just a time for analyzing financial capacity or the size of your home, but instead is a time for talking with you about your concerns as you build your family through adoption. Our goal is to make the home study process an educational and enriching process for adopting parents. The home study process is a time for adopting parents to discuss with Bright Futures Adoption Center and each other such issues as the type of child they are comfortable parenting, how and when they will tell their child their adoption story, what type of ongoing contact they might like to have with their child’s birth family, how they were raised and how they want to raise their child, and what their expectations are for a child.

Qualifications to Adopt

Home Study Checklist

In order to complete the Home Study process, the following documents must be submitted to Bright Futures Adoption Center for each adopting parent and for all household members age 15 and up:

Completed CORI/SORI (Criminal/Sexual Offender Record Information) clearance,

Completed FBI clearance, and

Completed Department of Children and Families Child Abuse and Neglect Clearance.

Non-household Members BRC Consent Forms

The BRC’s will all be completed and reported to Bright Futures through the DCF computer system. You will need to follow the instructions we provide to schedule and be fingerprinted.

Adam Walsh Checks (out of state abuse/neglect check) if lived out of state in the last 5 years.

Two personal references, one from a non-relative and one from a relative.

A written statement from a licensed physician regarding the health of each adopting parent and each other member of the household. Medical history forms must be based on an appointment within the last twelve months.

School References for each child in the household who is currently enrolled in a daycare/school setting. If you do not have a child enrolled in daycare/school, you will need to provide a third personal reference (see item 4).

Employer Reference for each adopting parent who is employed outside the home.

A Certified Birth Certificate for each adopting parent and each other member of the household.

A Certified Marriage Certificate and Certified Divorce Decrees, if applicable.

A completed Financial Information Form and supporting documentation (e.g. 1040 Federal Income Tax Form). This form will be provided to you at your first Home Study meeting.

Adoptive Parent Home Study Questionnaire completed by each adopting parent.

Signed Discipline Statement.

Completed Physical Standards Checklist.

Child Comfort Scale.

Evidence of Attendance at Bright Futures’ Match Webinar

Home Study Process

The home study process takes a minimum of thirty (30) days to complete from the date of your first home study meeting with Bright Futures Adoption Center and typically takes several months. Your home study will involve:

A minimum of three interviews (at least two in person and others can be virtual) between the prospective adoptive parents and the Bright Futures’ social worker;
At least two meetings in the prospective adoptive parent(s)’ home, where at least one visit includes a safety assessment of the home and observation of family interactions;
At least one interview with each prospective adoptive parent individually and one joint interview;
Interviews with all other children and adults living or frequently in the home, as appropriate to the age and development of that person. For purposes of this section a person frequently in the home will include a person who regularly provides care for the child;
Interviews with each child or adult child of the prospective adoptive parent living outside the home, as appropriate to the age and development of that person;
Determination of whether each prospective adoptive parent and household member age 15 and up has a background free of conduct which in the judgment of Bright Futures bears adversely upon his or her ability to provide for the safety and well being of children. In making this determination, Bright Futures will conduct criminal background and child abuse and neglect registry checks in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations, and consider the prospective adoptive parent(s)’ or other household member(s)’ use of drugs or alcohol, sex offender or other history that would impair the individual’s ability to care for a child;
Inquiry into the prospective adoptive parent(s)’ previous experience with foster care or adoption, if any, and the outcome of such experience, with specific attention paid to any previously unfavorable home study or disrupted placement;
Inquiry into prospective adoptive parent(s)’ motivation for and expectations about adopting a child; including exploration of the prospective adoptive parent(s)’ experience with infertility, miscarriage or death of a child;
Assessment of the emotional stability and compatibility and relationship of the prospective adoptive parent(s);
Assessment of the prospective adoptive parent(s)’ history of trauma, abuse, neglect, alcohol or drug use and ability to cope in difficult circumstances, including their adaptability, communication style and skills and their ability to problem solve;
Discussion of family, social, educational (including literacy and language skills), employment, and physical and mental health history of the prospective adoptive parent(s)’
A description of the family composition and lifestyle, home and the adjustment of other children, if any, as well as the family’s community and social environment;
Assessment of the family’s attitude toward accepting an adopted child, the family’s relationship with their extended family, and the attitude of their extended family toward accepting an adopted child;
Assessment of parenting ability, including attitudes toward and skills relating to child rearing and discipline, and the family’s willingness and capacity to parent children with complex behavioral or emotional problems; Use of physical discipline or techniques that could be harmful to children with a history of trauma will be grounds for denial of a home study and all adopting parents will be asked to sign Bright Futures Discipline Statement;
Assessment of the prospective adoptive parent(s)’ attitudes toward and abilities for parenting a child of a different racial, ethnic or cultural background, a child with a history/family history of substance abuse, mental health or medical disabilities, or a child of a different sexual orientation than the applicants, and the resources available to support the applicants in each case;
Assessment of the network of personal and community supports available to support the prospective adoptive parent(s) and child, following placement;
Assessment of the family’s attitude toward the birth parents, siblings and relatives of the child, and willingness and ability to support visitation and ongoing contact;
Discussion of the characteristics of children desired, including age, sex, abilities or disabilities, behavior, and characteristics of children the adopting parent(s) are not willing to adopt;
Assessment of the family’s expectations for a child, including the family’s plans to discuss adoption with the child;
Review of three written references and interviews with the individuals providing the references;
Review of a written statement from a licensed physician regarding the health of each member of the household;
Review of birth certificates, marriage certificates and/or divorce decrees, as appropriate; and
Review of the applicant(s)’ financial ability to care for an adopted child.

As part of the home study assessment process and in keeping with Bright Futures’ mandate to act in the best interests of children, Bright Futures may find it necessary to independently verify information or seek independent expert assessment regarding aspects of the adopting parent(s)’ history or current lives. These inquiries might include, but are not limited to, criminal background, substance use, anger/violence, quality of the adopting parents’ relationship, relationships with adult children, significant medical issues, and mental health diagnoses. This information can be an important component of our determination about whether you can be approved to adopt a child and/or what child may be the best match for your family. For example, if you have a chronic medical condition for which you see a specialist, you will be asked to obtain medical references from your primary care provider and also the specialist; if you have a criminal history, you may be asked to provide police reports and court documents from the incident leading to the charge; or if you have a history of substance abuse, you will be asked to undergo an independent expert evaluation. If an independent expert assessment is necessary and there is a cost associated with that assessment, the cost shall be paid by the adopting parents.

All home studies are documented in a written report that will include Bright Futures’ conclusions regarding your ability to meet the physical, developmental, emotional and educational needs of a child or children, and Bright Futures’ recommendation as to the age, gender and characteristics of children which your home can safely accommodate and which you can best serve. A copy of the written report will be available to you within thirty (30) days after the last visit with your social worker.