Adoption Home Study

IF YOU RESIDE IN TEXAS, WE CAN ASSIST YOU WITH COMPLETING AN ADOPTION HOME STUDY AND OBTAINING APPROVAL AS AN ADOPTIVE PARENT IN TEXAS.

Adoption Home Study

WE SPECIALIZE IN ADOPTIVE PARENT PREPARATION, WHICH INCLUDES THE HOME STUDY AND GUIDING YOU THROUGH YOUR MANY OPTIONS WITH DOMESTIC INFANT ADOPTION.

If you complete a Home Study with us, you will have the highest level of approval in Texas and will have all necessary clearances needed to comply with ICPC (necessary if you leave the state of Texas to obtain placement in another state). We also release your Adoption Home Study to you and encourage you to sign up with other entities for matching purposes.

45 Years of Combined Experience

WE HAVE OVER 45 YEARS OF COMBINED ADOPTION EXPERIENCE AND CAN GUIDE AND ADVISE YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR ADOPTION ENDEAVOR. THIS IS A GREAT BENEFIT TO COMPLETING AN ADOPTION HOME STUDY WITH US!

Importantly, if you become a client of Little Flower Adoptions and have an approved Home Study through our agency, you have continued access to Kris Miller, Executive Director, and her highly tenured staff. We will consult with you and answer your questions throughout your road to adoption. We always want you to touch base with us before you proceed with an adoption opportunity with another matching entity.

Your file will be maintained with Little Flower Adoptions during the time you have approval as an adoptive parent. We can assist you with any match or placement either inside (please see Identified Adoption information) or outside the State of Texas. LFA can be retained to accept the ICPC responsibility and help an interstate adoptive placement go smoothly.

CONTACT US FOR AN APPLICATION OR FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.

Home Study Steps

COMPLETE AN APPLICATION, GATHER SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION, COMPLETE INTERVIEWS AND THE HOME VISIT.

The steps to obtaining an Adoption Home Study with us consist of completing an Application and gathering required support documentation, such as references, financial information, and physical exam documentation. After all required paperwork is submitted to the agency, we move quickly to process the information (usually completed within 2 business days) and set you up with an Adoption Specialist to conduct the interview portions and home visit.

WE CAN COMPLETE YOUR HOME STUDY AS FAST AS YOU PREFER. It all depends on how quickly you complete the paperwork and obtain clearances (fingerprinting)! We can finish your Home Study report 10 days after the home visit, as long as all information has been received, including clearances.

Adoption Costs

We charge a $750 Application fee and a $750 home visit fee, making our total Adoption Home Study fee commitment $1,500. We are able to cover the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Austin/San Antonio, West Texas/Lubbock, Amarillo, El Paso and Houston areas. We have social workers who will travel to other areas of the state, as well. Travel fees may be assessed for certain areas and will be quoted on a case-by-case basis.

Per Texas law and licensing standards, if you do not have a placement within 12 months of completing the Adoption Home Study, you will need an Adoption Home Study Update. At that time, you do not complete a new Application. You only pay $400 for a Home Study Update (and any applicable travel fees, since this requires a new home visit and interviews) and update some of the paperwork, such as references and physicals.

LFA can also be retained (fee required) to receive the ICPC (Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children) responsibility and assist with the interstate process to gain approval to return to Texas with the baby. Post-Placement Supervision will be required upon your return. Our fee is $350/per home visit-report. The amount of post-placement visits needed will depend on what type of placement you completed and in which state the placement occurred. You can expect anywhere from 1–6 post-placement home visits-reports being required after placement.

Please feel free to contact us for an Application or for any further information. We would be happy to begin working with you on your adoption endeavors.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How is your agency different than other agencies and why should I use Little Flower Adoptions for my Home Study services?

Little Flower specializes in home study services and educating adoptive parents about the home study process. Unlike other agencies, we specialize in working IDENTIFIED adoptions, meaning once you match with a Texas birth mother, you are ready to go with our agency. You do not pay an application fee again, as you have already paid that through the home study process and have already been approved.

We do not match adoptive parents with birth mothers very often and do not advertise for birth parents. We offer specialized services on a case-by-case basis. A few times per year, a birth mother is referred to us in need of an adoptive family and we attempt to match her with one of our approved families.

Additionally, LFA allows and encourages you to take your Home Study and sign up with other agencies for matching purposes.

2. How fast can I get my Home Study completed?

The home study process typically can be as timely as you make it. The process of gathering all of the necessary paperwork, such as references, physical exam documentation, and copies of all other required information, is the part that usually takes the most time. After we receive all of your paperwork, we are able to schedule the home visit and interviews. After all of that has taken place, we take approximately 10 days to type it up for your review before finalizing the study.

3. How long is my Home Study valid?

Texas Adoption Home Studies are valid for 12 months. Prior to expiration, the home study will need to be updated. The cost is reduced for doing Home Study Updates, but physicals, references, and financial information must also be updated to stay current within 12 months.

4. Do I get a copy of my Home Study and can I use it for other purposes?

Yes, we specialize in providing Home Study services to adoptive parents and encourage you to take the home study to sign up with other agencies or matching entities. We will keep a complete file at our office and assist with any placement you may receive.

If matched with a birth mother out of Texas, LFA can be retained to accept the ICPC (Inter State Compact for the Placement of Children) responsibility for your case. We will already have a complete file for you. We are knowledgeable of ICPC requirements in Texas (and many other states) and can be helpful in ensuring a smooth approval so that you can travel back home with your baby in a timely manner.