Each day is a bit different. Some days I am running from
home to home visiting families. Some days, I set aside time for the paperwork
and writing of reports. I try to alternate them so that I can write a homestudy
or post placement as soon as possible after seeing a family so that there is a
real sense of who this particular family is.
A homestudy appointment has me checking through any
paperwork or documents I have received to familiarize myself with the situation
and the household members. I want to be as supportive as I can to help a
potential adoptive parent adopt and be the best parent they can be. I approach
each visit with several goals: to gather the specific information I need to
meet state or federal regulations, or those of a particular adoption agency
(should I be conducting the homestudy under their auspices); assessing
strengths and concerns regarding individual household members; and providing
adoption education (regarding the process or parenting).
The actual home visit involves
interviews with each household member, including children. Depending on the age
of a child, they may be observed as they interact with their parent or sibling,
they may be asked questions about their likes and dislikes, they may show me
their room and favorite toys and books; or they may ask me questions about
adding a sibling to the family through adoption. There is also a run-through of
the home, including the living space for the new child.
The interview is thorough. There are discussions of family
background, household relationships and interactions, children in the home,
motivation to adopt and views on parenting, named guardians, finances and the
home and community. Along with the paperwork provided all become the foundation
for the written report.
Depending on the time of day, during the home visit, some
families provide a beverage or a snack. While always appreciated, it is best to
make sure it is food that can be eaten while talking and writing.
After the visit, I spend time again reviewing the paperwork
and interview materials and writing the report. I want your personality,
lifestyle and hopes for parenting to be reflected and not sound like everyone
else. This can take several more hours. If I have additional questions, I email
or call the family. Once the draft is ready, it will be reviewed by an agency
(if one is involved in the process) or the family. After everyone approves, the
final report is produced, notarized and submitted to the proper authorities.
While the homestudy is finished, my role with a
family does not stop there. I remain available for questions or concerns
throughout the adoption process and will visit again after the child has been
placed for the Post Placement Supervision report. These reports detail the
adjustment of the child and family and are used to recommend the finalization
of the adoption or to report back to those who were involved in the adoption
process (attorneys, agencies, courts, state entities or foreign entities).
During any given day, I am on the phone, texting and emailing
with clients, potential clients, family members, attorneys, agencies and courts
regarding potential or active situations. I am following up on missing
documents or adoption paperwork, staying on top of changes in the adoption
world and interacting with colleagues to maintain and grow my network of
professionals who can be helpful to clients and their children.
It is my honor and privilege to be asked to help a family
adopt and to be allowed into their lives. I take my role as an adoption social
worker very seriously. I am also a mom through adoption and know the joy of
adoption, as well as the challenges of the process and of parenting. I remember
my own homestudy and how I worried about what I would be asked. I vowed that as
an adoption worker, if I could make the homestudy any less stressful for a
potential or current parent, I would. I spend time on the phone before the
visit to make sure they know what to expect to alleviate some of the anxiety
and to answer any questions. I remain available throughout the process for
questions or needed information or referrals. I suggest local support groups or
counseling if I feel someone needs more ongoing support. Mostly, I soothe and
encourage never losing sight of the goal—to parent or enlarge a family.
There is a child out there for every family. Sometimes the
journey to parenting is slower than a person would like and/or takes a
different path then they expected. I am there to hold a hand, provide a
shoulder to lean on and act as a mentor. Getting through the homestudy is just
a part of the process. Adoption works. I see it every day and am grateful for
being a part of that journey.
Kathy Ann Brodsky, LCSW is a New York and New Jersey licensed social worker, adoptive mom and advocate for ethical adoption practice. Through her private practice and agency affiliations, she has prepared thousands of adoption homestudies, counseled expectant, birth, pre/post adoptive parents and adopted persons, as well as trained professionals to work with adoptive families. She was Director of the Ametz Adoption Program of JCCA and a member of the Advisory Board for POV’s Adoption Series and is currently a member of the Adoption Advisory Board of Path2Parenthood, Adoption Professional Advisory Council of HelpUSAdopt and active in the Adoptive Parents Committee in New York. Her blogs and written contributions can be seen throughout the Internet, including her BLOG and as Head Writer for ADOPTION.NET She was named an “Angel in Adoption” by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption in 2001. You can reach her directly at EMAIL
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