The home visit that is part of all home studies is the one thing that most prospective adoptive parents (paps) worry about. Those who have been through a home visit already will reassure them that it’s really nothing to worry about, but I know from personal experience that those reassurances did little to calm my anxiousness. We were supposed to have our home study update visit yesterday, but our social worker had to reschedule. I’ll be sure to update once we reschedule, but for now I thought I’d spend some time going over how you can prepare for your home study.

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  Make sure your house is presentable, but don’t go overboard. Your social worker is not going to check for dust under the beds and cluttered cabinets. They want to see that the home is a safe environment to bring a child into and noone was ever denied their desire to adopt due to crumbs on the kitchen counter.
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  Make your house safe for all who will live there. Test your smoke alarms and install any that may be missing, make sure you have a working fire extinguisher in the kitchen and garage, and baby proof now before you have little hands exploring your outlets. Some social workers will request to see items that have been baby proofed, and will need to make a note that smoke detectors and extinguishers are in place.
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  If you are adopting with a partner, make sure you’re both clear about what you expect out of your adoption and your ideas on child raising. In the middle of your home visit you do not want to learn that your partner’s views greatly contrast your own.
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  Be prepared to tell your social worker the age, sex and special needs (if any) of the child that you would like to adopt. Your final home study will state that you are approved to adopt a certain aged, certain sex (if you’re stating a preference) child.
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  Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Hopefully you will be working with a seasoned adoption professional who has experienced many different adoption related situations and can offer you advice. Now is a great opportunity to ask any questions that you may have about your adoption, or adoption in general.
  


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  Try to relax. Schedule your visit at a time that is not rushed and you won’t need to be thinking about watching the clock. The home study home visit is a big milestone and just means that you’re that much closer to bringing home your new child; there really isn’t anything to get too worried or nervous about. Be yourself and congratulate yourself that you’re now one step closer!

More Reading:
How to Prepare Your Child's Room
How to Choose a Country