Home Study
(International & Domestic)

Home Visit and Report

• A social worker will contact you to schedule your home visits.
• The final home study is prepared by an IAN social worker. The report summarizes the information gathered throughout the assessment process and provides a professional evaluation of the prospective adoptive parent(s)' readiness to adopt.
  
  The report concludes with the social worker's recommendation regarding approval for adoption and identifies the characteristics of the child or children for whom the family is considered suitable, such as age range, number of children, sibling groups, medical or developmental needs, and other factors. Once approved, the home study becomes an important document used by adoption authorities, agencies, courts, and government entities throughout the adoption process.

Pre-Adoption Education & Training

Prospective adoptive parents are required to complete pre-adoption education designed to help them understand the unique needs of adopted children and prepare for the lifelong responsibilities of adoptive parenting.

Training topics will include, but not limited to, attachment and bonding, the impact of trauma, grief and loss, child development, cultural and racial identity, openness in adoption, the effects of institutional care and neglect, special needs adoption, parenting strategies, and available post-adoption resources and support services. The goal of pre-adoption education is to help families enter adoption with realistic expectations, knowledge, and tools to support a child's long-term well-being and successful integration into the family.

IAN provides all mandated pre-adoption education to PAPs throughout the US in our face-to-face, live education courses.

After Placement or Adoption:

• Post-placement and post-adoption reports are designed to monitor a child's adjustment and well-being after placement with their adoptive family. These reports provide an opportunity for a social worker to assess how the child and family are adapting, identify any support services that may be beneficial, and document the child's progress in areas such as attachment, health, development, education, and family integration.
  
  In domestic adoptions, post-placement reports are typically required by the court before an adoption can be finalized.
  
  In intercountry adoption, post-adoption reports are also an important commitment to the child's country of origin, helping demonstrate that children placed through adoption are safe, thriving, and receiving appropriate care within their permanent families.
• IAN provides post placement and post adoption services for Colorado families, regardless of placement agency.
• IAN will supervise the home study agency's post adoption services for IAN clients living outside Colorado, and transmit the post adoption reports to the foreign authority.

Post Adoption (after adoption) Assistance for IAN Clients, regardless of location

• IAN will conduct a Post Adoption virtual meeting once the adoptive child and family are in the US after adoption.
• Depending upon country post adoption requirements, post-adoption home visits and reports will be conducted over the span of one to four years.
• A social worker will conduct an in-home visit within two weeks of arriving home as well as the remainder of the required visits and reports.
• Ongoing support and resources will be provided.

Adoption Validation for Hague Adoptions

Adoptive parents will re-validate or finalize adoption (country and state dependent) in the state where they live. After validation, the state will usually issue the child a state birth certificate (report of foreign birth).