Regardless of which adoption journey you are on, you will need to complete a home study. As part of your home study, you will need to gather a bunch of documents. Although this list may vary a little from state to state and agency to agency, it will give you a good idea of what to expect. This is what we were required to collect.
- Autobiography for each parent
- Birth/Death certificates for all household members
- Marriage certificates and divorce decrees
- Verification of employment
- Most recent copy of 1040 tax form (pages 1 and 2)
- Reference letters (usually 3 or 4)
- Guardianship statement (states who will receive custody if something happens to you)
- Financial statement
- Recent pay stubs
- Home sanitation survey (inspection by health department)
- Complete driving record
- Home fire inspection
- Medical reports for all adults and children living in home
- FBI and state police clearances
- Child abuse and child support clearances
To date, we are about 80% of the way through this list. The end is near!