Homestudy
There are more than eight million couples in the United States today who are of child-bearing age but who are unable to conceive and bear children naturally. Many of these couples have the qualities necessary to provide the best physical and emotional environment possible for a child. With this in mind, we feel adoption can be a positive alternative for young women facing an unplanned pregnancy and at the same time offer hope to infertile couples. We also realize it can be a very trying and emotional time for all parties involved. It is for this reason that we offer our services to you. Our highly trained professional staff prides itself on the fact that we care and want to provide the best quality service to our clients at the most affordable rates. You will find our staff warm, friendly, and very professional in our approach to your needs. We have been licensed to provide placement and adoptive services by the State of Michigan since 1958. Click on any of these questions to jump down to the portion of this page that provides an appropriate answer to the question posed:
What is a homestudy?
A homestudy is a process that results in a formal report that describes your family's ability (from a legal perspective) to provide a nurturing, caring, safe, and secure environment for a prespective adoptive child.
Why would we need a homestudy?
The State of Michigan requires that any prospective adoptive family have a homestudy performed and documented that assures the court that the family is able and willing to care for any adoptive child. The information that we gather for the homestudy is mandated by law.
Can a homestudy done by CFS be used for adoption through another agency or a lawyer?
Yes. Once your homestudy is completed by a state-licensed agency (such as CFS), that homestudy can be used for any adoption in the State of Michigan -- even if the adoption is not facilitated by the agency that performed the homestudy for you. In other words, CFS can provide you with homestudy services even if you choose to work with a different agency, a lawyer, or other legal advocate to facilitate your adoption.
Who will actually work with us to put together our homestudy?
Our State-Licensed Social Worker, Audrey Brown, is our homestudy specialist and is ready to assist you in your adoptive family evaluation. Audrey has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work from Michigan State University and has been employed with CFS since 1989. Clients have described her as compassionate, warm, insightful, and thorough. She is an expert in the adoption field and has great understanding of the issues confronting the adopting parent.
Does CFS have the qualifications to produce homestudies that are acceptable for international adoptions?
Many agencies (especially for international adoptions) require that the facilitating social worker be licensed, and of course, Audrey has those necessary qualifications.
What is required?
The actual homestudy process generally takes several weeks to complete, although the process can be facilitated if timing is important. The process includes a series of formal interviews which culminates in an actual visit by the social worker to your home for a formal inspection. As imposing as that might sound, Audrey does a fantastic job of getting the homestudy done in a professional way without intimidating the prospective adoptive family.
What other services do you provide that might help us in handling our adoption?
We can help by providing court representation and birthparent counseling services if you would like to take advantage of our experience in handling adoption without using all of CFS's services.
What does it all cost?
The following table shows our current prices for specific adoption services. Of course, you can also contact us if you'd like to work through CFS to handle the entire adoption process.
How can we contact you for more information or to make an appointment?
You may schedule an appointment with Audrey by calling (248) 557-8390. Our receptionist is available to take your call between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. If you'd like some additional information, you can call to request that, too.