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Surviving Your Home Study

There is a great post over on the Love on a Mission blog written by Kim Eagle, an America World mother, called “Surviving Your Home Study.” 

You may have be experiencing some of the same emotions Kim did in anticipation of your home study! Please read this and know that the home study process is not designed to be an intimidating or negative experience. You can also visit our State Pages to get an idea of what to expect in your state, and to read about your social worker.

The thought of an adoption Home Study can conjure up all kinds of emotions.  For some it is excitement about another phase of the adoption process, yet to some it brings up hesitancy and concern.  Will the Social Worker like our family?  Is my house clean enough?  Will they find some deep, dark secret about us?  Will we be approved?  Having lived through the Home Study process, our family can honestly say it was one of the more enjoyable and therapeutic phases of our three-year adoption process. 

We were initially in the camp of hesitancy and concern.  How was I going to make my home look like June and Ward Cleaver’s?  I thought it needed to look perfect, peaceful, and immaculate.  That was impossible.  At the time we were pursuing a China adoption and we had biological children ages 7, 9, 10, and 12 years.   We were told that we needed three home visits before the adoption and two after we brought our adopted child home.   How were we going to create perfection in our home five times?  I soon found out that my perception of the home study was wrong.

Before our initial visit with our Social Worker, I sat my four children down and explained that she would want to talk to them and get their perspective on adopting a brother or sister.  She may ask questions or get their opinion about our family.  At that time my three oldest children were somewhat quiet.  So I did what any “good†mother would do and told them I would give them a treat if they conversed with the Social Worker.  My plan worked beautifully for the older three.  However, I had not factored in the personality of my fourth child, who naturally was talkative.

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