Intercountry Adoption From Hague and Non-Hague Convention Countries: Home Study
This information was taken directly from Child Welfare Information Gateway’'
Contents
Home Study
Both types of adoption
The home study must be approved by the USCIS and must include specific information about the parents and their suitability. Countries of origin may have their own home study requirements, too. Home studies often focus on a variety of issues, including financial considerations; parental physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral health; placement suitability; and the parents’ eligibility to adopt from the specific country.
Convention
A home study must be conducted by an individual or entity defined as a home study preparer for Convention cases. This includes a public domestic authority, an accredited agency, an approved person, a supervised provider, an exempted provider, or others who hold the proper licenses or authorizations.
For additional information about the Hague home study process, visit home study guidelines
Parents must choose the country of the child to be adopted before the home study is conducted.
Non-Convention
A home study must be conducted by an individual or entity defined as a home study preparer for Convention cases. This includes a public domestic authority, an accredited agency, an approved person, a supervised provider, an exempted provider, or others who hold the proper licenses or authorizations.
Parents must choose the country of the child to be adopted before the home study is conducted.
Continue to Intercountry Adoption From Hague and Non-Hague Convention Countries: Applicable Forms
Return to International Adoption (Glossary)
Resource
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2014). Intercountry adoption from hague convention and non-hague convention countries. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
References
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2012). Finding and using postadoption services. Retrieved from https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_postadoption.cfm
Pinderhuges, E., Matthews, J., Deoudes, G., & Pertman, A. (2013). A changing world: Shaping best practices through understanding of the new realities of intercountry adoption. Retrieved from http://adoptioninstitute.org/publications/a-changing-world-shaping-best-practices-through-understanding-of-the-new-realities-of-intercountry-adoption/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. (2014). Re-homing of adopted children: responsibilities for states and opportunities in the provision of postadoption services. (ACYF-CB-IM-14-02). Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/cb/im1402.pdf
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs. (2013). Convention countries. Retrieved from http://adoption.state.gov/hague_convention/countries.php
Citations
1 For information on adoption disruption, refer to Information Gateway’s Adoption Disruption and Dissolution at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/s_disrup.cfm
2 A third way to legally bring an adopted child to reside permanently in the United States is the immediate relative process. For more information, visit http://www.uscis.gov/adoption/immigration-through-adoption/other-adoption-related-immigration.