A Home Study is a report that a licensed Social Worker in your state compiles in order to testify that you are a good family and to determine what kind of child would be best suited for your family. Social Workers that conduct Home Studies work with a non-profit Home Study agency. They are licensed, non-profit and have experience conducting Home Studies for Chinese adoption.
The social worker will meet with your family on at least four separate occasions to conduct interviews and to make sure the home is safe for a child based on state regulations. He or she will then take written testimonies from your physicians, local police and references. Last but not least relatives in the home will be interviewed to make sure everyone is prepared for the adoption of a child from China. Social workers will then notarize this report and make multiple original copies for all of the appropriate parties who need it such as your local US CIS (Citizenship and Immigration Services) office and for your dossier to CCAA. It generally takes about three months to complete this part of the process.
For adoptive parents not living in Texas, we will refer you to a home study agency in your area. We work in partnership with over 100 cooperative home study agencies located throughout the United States. These are licensed, non-profit agencies as required by the Chinese government. If you have already chosen a home study agency, we are happy to work with your social worker to meet US and China home study requirements.
If a Great Wall social worker is not available in your geographic area, and counseling cannot be accomplished by telephone, Great Wall will locate a counselor or psychologist in your area who specializes in adoption. Please contact us toll-free at 1-888-GW-Family or info@gwca.org for more information.
Great Wall’s reputation for excellent service is due in part to the skill and experience of our social workers. Great Wall’s social workers provide home study services to all Texas families adopting internationally or domestically, not just Great Wall families.
China requires two in-home visits with a social worker after you return home with your child; one at 6 months after and one at the one year anniversary of the adoption. It is the responsibility of the family to schedule these visits with a social worker and have the report sent to Great Wall headquarters. For further information please contact Kimber Baumgardt at (512) 323-9595 ext. 3053 or email kimber@gwca.org
Home Study and Post Adoption Service prices vary according to Country requirements. Call us toll-free at 1-888-GW-Family or email us at info@gwca.org for pricing.
