[Wee1]

We started the adoption process in May of last year, our SW told us to get our paperwork done ASAP, which we did(2wks), but we are still waiting on her to come checkout the house and do our interviews. I know that she is showing us but she told us that she has everything she needs right now. Does this seem odd.

[Fran27]

Um yes. And I thought ours was long (5 months). I would be complaining to her supervisor...

[jcm]

Ditto what Fran said. We had our first visit within two weeks of our asking for the home study. Something is very wrong with your SW's timeline!

[eagleswings216]

Yeah, that's just crazy. We submitted our paperwork in early January, and our first visit was I think around mid-February. There is NO reason is should take almost 9 months for a home visit. That's just ridiculous.

[Barksum]

Has your SW forgotten that she hasn't come out? And how can she be accurately representing you if she's not seen your house or interviewed you?

[Betelnut]

Yes, that is unusual. I had a commitment from my social worker (I can't remember if it was a contract per se) that the entire study would not take more than 6 months on his end.

[waitingforourrainbow]

We had out first home study with a week of calling the agency. We are having our last visit tonight and we only just started all of this right before Christmas..... I would maybe give your SW a call and just see what the time line might be.

[HopingGA45]

That's way too long. Ours took a long time because we had to switch social workers halfway through our homestudy (our original one left the agency) and ours was still completed within 3 months.

[Wee1]

I am starting to worry about this because I would like to give homestudy to a few other people, but Hubby is afraid of rocking the boat. He did call them last month and told her we were ready anytime... this is just getting frustrating.

[florencecalling]

This is highly unusual. Our home study was completed in about 6 weeks, but the home visits were over in about 3 weeks after we first sent in our initial paperwork. The rest of the time we were waiting for paperwork to clear. Call the SW!

[LauraLiz]

Yes, your home study should be wrapped up by now.

1- is the SW through an agency? I am wondering if they are dragging their heels so you are tied to them. W/O a completed homestudy you likely would not be considered by another agency should a situation comeup suddenly.

2- Paperwork is done, what about the interviews and talking parts? Ours was arond 4 visits if I recall correctly. (Of course DH has the gift of gab, so that may have played a role.)

I would ask for the timeline or review the contract you have. Even say you were looking at some situations online and they said homestudy completed couples only, so you'd like to wrap it up as soon as possible. (That takes the heat off of you blaming them for their lack of momentum.)

[GATI]

Ours was nearly 4 months and I was upset with that. The agency paperwork can't be completed without that interview in our agency so no one without a completed home study would ever be shown.

[Nevada Jen]

I suspect our agency didn't do the interviews until they had a situation for us so I wouldn't take my money elsewhere. It was pretty obvious to me at the time that's what they were doing. The completed it in 24 hours after 2 months of weekly phone calls by me trying to set it up. Coincidentally, at the start of those 24 hours they had a baby born and matched with us.

[Linny]

To the OP.....Have you already paid them FOR this homestudy??? And, even with your paperwork completed....have your fingerprints been conducted too?

Not only would I suspect this agency is trying to keep you as 'their clients only'.....but I'd question what they're doing with your $$$ if you've already paid them for a completed homestudy. Additionally, you should be able to receive a copy of the homestudy draft---in case small corrections to your information are needed. (Having to make corrections to your information isn't uncommon at all.....we've had very few cw'ers get all of the information correct the first time through.)

If this were me......I'd be phoning them often until the interviews were done and the draft was in my hand.
Good luck to you.

Sincerely,

Linny

[GATI]

Originally Posted by Linny

Additionally, you should be able to receive a copy of the homestudy draft---in case small corrections to your information are needed. (Having to make corrections to your information isn't uncommon at all.....we've had very few cw'ers get all of the information correct the first time through.)

What Linny said! When I found out this was standard practice, I bugged my agency until we got our homestudy. We had to sign a release to get it (and wait for a while--we actually didn't get it until after we were approved to adopt)... but at least we were positive that the information in it was correct.

We have found that being empowered and knowledgeable consumers has really helped us in this process... and people like Linny and others helped me to become that person!