Which agency for homestudies?

GuatMom, we're in the Philadelphia area and our agency is only local, so I can't help you with a recommendation. But you might want to check with your placement agency about PA agencies they've used successfully in the past. Some placement agencies even give you a discount for using an agency they are allied with. At least in our case, and I assume this is a state law, we had to use an agency that is licensed to do homestudies for international adoptions, and not all of them are. Also, some programs allow you to use a private licensed social worker to do the homestudy but some do not. Time lines will vary tremendously, in part depending on the agency workload and how commited they are to getting the job done quickly. Make sure you discuss this and get some kind of estimate from any agency you're considering. Your speedy completion of the required advance paperwork (criminal/child abuse clearances, physical, employment verification, etc.) also help move the process along faster. There is a Yahoo group for people in PA who are doing/have done international adoptions at [url]http://groups.yahoo.com/group/InternationalAdoptPA/[/url] . You can probably get some recommendations and advice there about specific PA agencies. Good luck!