Prior to commencing the home study, however, we would strongly recommend you become familiarized with the international adoption laws and regulations of your home country. It is likely that several agencies in your home country will need to be involved including a court of law and immigration services. Please also contact local agencies that you plan to work with; they may have specific requirements that the CSC counselor needs to be aware of.

 

When you are ready to commence the home study, a counselor from The Center will be assigned to make a formal assessment. The objective of the study is to assess your fitness and readiness for the role of adoptive parent. The study will include an initial pre-adoptive counseling session and a minimum of four visits, including one visit to the home.

The interviews will focus on family history and dynamics, parenting practices, and cultural awareness. In addition to performing an assessment, the Center counselors will provide information and education to families around adoption issues and concerns as well as emotional support. When a report is complete, one original copy will be prepared and provided to you. In the case of American citizens, three additional copies will be sent to an adoption agency in the USA for review and approval. This agency will then send one copy with an approval letter to you and one copy with approval letter to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). You can expect the entire home study process to take approximately two to three months, depending upon the time required to obtain all necessary documentation.