Home Study Process
The goal for the home study process is to meet the requirements of the law, develop a trusting and open relationship with the client and educate families about the lifelong process for you and your adopted child.
Catholic Charities is currently not accepting applications for the infant program due to low infant placement rates. Couples can still have a private home study completed, if they desire to locate a birth mother independantly, or if they are working with an attorney or a national adoption agency.
Steps in the preparation and completion of the Adoptive Home Study document include:
- Orientation. This first step is a meeting for you to collect vital information about the Adoption Center at Catholic Charities and the adoption options available, thus reaching a level of confidence in the choice of Catholic Charities.
- You will receive an application packet in the mail following the orientation, which, when completed, will provide Catholic Charities with some preliminary information about you as a couple as well as providing you with a list of specific documents that need to be provided according to state and federal regulations. For example:
• Financial report
• W-2 form
• Birth certificates
• Marriage license
• Divorce decree(s)
• Physical examinations
• Personal references and employers’ references
• State Police Criminal Clearances
• PA Department of Public Welfare Child Abuse Clearances
• FBI fingerprint checks
- An interview process (approximately seven meetings) takes place during which you will share information about yourself and your family.
