Foster parents are certified/approved when the following are completed:

• The home study
• The SCR clearance
• The criminal history record review process, including fingerprinting.

What is a Home Study?

A home study is conducted to help you and your agency decide if adoption or foster care is right for you and identify the type of child or children who will be the best match for your family. The process—which includes interviews, home visits, documentation of key information, and reference checks with people who know you well and can speak to your capacity to adopt —concludes with a home study report written by your caseworker. This report will often include the age range and number of children recommended for your family. The home study report is often used to introduce your family to other agencies to help them match your family with a child.

Generally, a home study report includes:

• Family background, financial statements, and references
• Education and employment
• Relationships and social life
• Daily life routines
• Parenting experiences
• Details about your home and neighborhood
• Readiness and reasons about your wanting to adopt
• References and background checks
• Approval and recommendation of children your family can best parent

If you’re looking only to foster, it is very unlikely you will be charged a home study fee by a public or private agency unless it’s a foster-to-adopt home study, in which case adoption home study fees may apply. Public agencies may charge an up-front, very low fee for adoption home studies. However, this fee is often reimbursable after you have adopted a child from foster care.

The home study process should be completed within 60 days from the date the completed application from the prospective foster parent is received.

Preparing for A Foster Care Homestudy

You can help speed up the home study process by ensuring all necessary information is supplied completely and accurately. Don’t delay filling out paperwork, scheduling medical appointments, or gathering the required documents.

Interviews done in association with the home study will be a self-reflective process where you may learn things about yourself and the dynamics of your family. If you have a spouse or partner both joint and individual interviews are often part of the process, which may also include children who currently live with you or those who live outside the home.

Things to have or be prepared to get:

• Health report. A physical exam within the past 12 months is required for all prospective parents, and tuberculosis (TB) tests are required for every member of the household. Medical conditions under control such as high blood pressure or diabetes usually don’t prevent individuals from being approved to foster or adopt. However, a serious health problem that affects life expectancy might. If you have serious health problems, you may be required to think about making (or actually make) a legal plan that will assure your foster child will continue to be cared for in the unfortunate circumstance that you would die before they reach adulthood.
• Criminal background check. All adults in the household must complete forms that are sent to child protective services and the state’s police check center. Adults in the household will need to obtain Federal Bureau of Investigation fingerprint checks and local police clearances under certain circumstances, such as recent relocation to the state where you currently reside. Applicants whose state or federal records indicate they have been convicted of harming children cannot foster.
• Financial statement. You will be asked to list the amount of your family’s income. Some states may require a copy of an income tax form, a paycheck stub, or a W-2 form. Even if you receive some type of assistance, you’re eligible to foster as long as you have adequate resources to provide for your family.
• Personal references. You will need to supply names, addresses, and phone numbers of three or four individuals who can attest to your experience with children, the stability of your current marriage or domestic partnership and household, and your emotional maturity. Most agencies require that references be people who are not related to you. Good choices might include close friends, an employer, a former teacher, a coworker, a neighbor, or a leader of your faith community.
• Autobiographical statement. Many agencies will ask each applicant to write an autobiographical statement or story. This is, essentially, the story of your life. It helps your caseworker understand your family better and assists them with writing your home study. Some agencies have workers available to assist you, and most will have a set of questions to guide you in writing your statement.
• Copies of legal documents. You will likely be asked to provide copies of any applicable marriage licenses, birth certificates, divorce decrees, and other legal documents relevant to your application to foster. Depending on the agency you work with and the child you want to foster, this information could be shared with other agencies. If you have questions or concerns about the confidentiality of your information, verify with your agency how extensively it will be shared.

If you aren’t given a copy of your home study, ask to see it so you can look it over and correct any inaccuracies. Depending on the agency you work with and the child you want to adopt, the information contained in your home study could be shared with birth parents or others. If you have questions or concerns about the confidentiality of your information, verify with your agency how extensively it will be shared.

How Long Does a Home Study Last?

In New York, a home study for a foster care is valid for one year and a private home study is considered valid for two years after which time you will need an update. An update comprises many of the same elements of your original home study, but is an abbreviated process. Each update is valid for one year as well.