There’s No Place Like Home

…at least that’s what we hope we conveyed to our social worker today!

We completed the home visit portion of our home study this afternoon.

In a nutshell, the adoption home study is a detailed written report of our family, compiled and prepared by a social worker (SW), submitted to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and eventually to the Russian Federation. Pretty much, a complete and positive home study pleads our case that we would make good parents.

Each state has different rules that apply to a home study. We are required to submit a gamut of documents: written autobiographies, medical exams, financial statements, references, etc. Prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) are basically put through the wringer to prove that they are suitable to bring a child home. Today, we were able to cross off our list the one-on-one interviews with our SW and our home visit.

The one-on-one interview consisted of me talking about… me… for one hour… Awkward? A little. But I do have to admit, it’s exciting to finally be taking big steps toward bringing our child home!

We dusted, swept, cleaned and primped to put our home’s best foot forward. While the SW only seemed interested in fire extinguishers and adequate living space for a child, I was beaming as I imagined fun places to build forts, spend family game night and create memories for years to come.

We’re making some headway!



CHECKLIST:
• Signed with local home study agency
• Wrote autobiography (4.5 pages!)
• Completed couple interview
• Completed one-on-one interview
• Completed home visit