[Biffer1997]

Reading through the posts, it sounds like most of you have your completed homestudy in your hand. Is that true? If so, what states allow this? Are you able to send it out to SW yourselves?
In my state (Ohio) or at least in my county, I don't have a copy of our homestudy. Each time we want one sent, we have to contact our caseworker. This is fine except I feel it would be MUCH easier to send it myself it I was able. I feel bad having to call her everytime, and I know I shouldn't feel that way. At least she returns my calls..

I asked for a copy (and even found the sentence in the paperwork that says we are entitled to one) and our caseworker told me that it was just the info we had turned in (which I have copies of). She said no one had ever asked for theirs before. She said we could get one if we wrote a letter to her supervisor telling her WHY we wanted it. (I thought that was odd since it is stated in the COUNTY DOCUMENT that we have a right to it.) I have never requested it--but know I probably should, right??

Thanks!
Tiffany

[waiting68]

Our worker sent us 2 copies of our homestudy. The homestudy is mostly information our worker gathered from papers we sent, information about my dh and I, about our home, and recomendations on what type of child or children she suggests would be a fit for our family. The papers we sent her are not attatched to our study, but are mentioned in the study as "kept in file". There is, however, a desired child description survey, i had filled out, attatched. Some workers have allowed us to send the study to them ourselves, but then there are some who demand worker to worker contact only.

[waiting68]

I also wanted to mention that it is a good idea to review your completed homestudy so you know what other workers are seeing, and could also check for any errors that may have been added by mistake. It wouldn't hurt to request a copy. I also feel bad for calling our worker and asking her to send our study to several different workers. I feel like i am driving her crazy, but it's their job, right?

[surfmama]

I had a copy of our homestudy which I sent out to many agencies last summer 2004 along with a family profile I had written with pictures added. It paid off, we just picked up our newest baby AA girl in June because an agency had our papers on file and no family to take our baby! We had specified willing to take a special needs baby and although she was at birth, she is perfectly healthy now.

Keep your options open, we have taken 8 special needs kids and all are great kids.

[surfmama]

I forgot to add, this was just 3 weeks after finalizing on an adoption of a baby girl we had gotten in Sept. So, we had to scramble to get our study updated!

[rindava]

if you have a private agency doing your homestudy they are just being a pain and if it is a local agency it may pay to fuss about it with them, but if it is a national chain then it probably will not do much good.

If you had your homestudy completed by a public agency for foster children in your state, then they usually don't hand it out..

You should be able to read the homestudy to see if it had errors as they tend to have minor typos and stuff..

If you have been working with an agency they will not give you a copy of your homestudy, then you can make up a brief resume type thing of your family and have contact info to send to other social workers

[Biffer1997]

We are through our county agency so I guess it is their right as we did not pay (at least directly for it. I will call her tomorrow and request her to send the ones I want out. I may request a copy too and see how that goes.