• Home
• Adoption FAQ
• Adoption Glossary
• Adoption Resources
• Adoption Services
• Domestic Adoption
  • Domestic Program
    • Homestudy Process
    • Independent Home Investigation
    • Domestic Network
• International Adoption
• KAS Missouri Office
• Mending Hearts
• Orphan Walk
• Mission Statement
• News and Events
• About KAS
• Contact KAS
• Hague Disclosures
• Privacy Policy
• Search
• Site Map

Click to View Our Video

Your Donations

Click to Donate Today

Domestic Adoption Homestudy Process

Anytime a family pursues an adoption, with the exception of certain family adoptions, a home study is required by law.  The home study agency must be licensed in the state in which the prospective adoptive parents reside. Kentucky Adoption Services, Inc. is a licensed, non-profit child-placing agency, providing home study services to Kentucky families. A home study basically consists of a series of appointments with an adoption professional.  Your case worker will come to know your family well and will be able to provide assistance throughout the adoption process by offering education on your various options for adoption and help you to decide which program will work best for your family.  In addition, your adoption caseworker will assess your family's appropriateness for adoption and counsel you on various issues unique to adoption.  This agency will help each family explore their strengths, resources, and limitations to ensure that an adoptive placement is in both the child's and the family's best interest.  Although the home study process can seem intimidating, it is a valuable experience and enables families to work closely with a trained professional who will provide encouragement, preparation, assistance and support throughout the exciting months to follow.

The Preliminary Application

The Preliminary Application is available online and the information that it requests will enable us to decide if your family meets the minimum requirements necessary for working with our agency to adopt a child.  This is the very first step to working with Kentucky Adoption Services, Inc.  A non-refundable $50 processing fee is due with this application.

The Formal Application

The Formal Application is step #2. This consists of a little more detailed information about your family, necessary to evaluate your family's suitability to adopt an infant or child.  Kentucky families applying for our domestic adoption program will receive the home study packet with the formal application; the information requested here will provide to your case worker more in-depth information necessary for writing the report and preparing you for adoption issues specific to your family.  A non-refundable $100 processing fee is due with this application.

A minimum of four home study visits are conducted with your adoption case worker.  The first visit can occur in either our office or your home, whichever is more comfortable for you.  For a two-parent family, both need to be present for this initial interview, as it will provide each member with an opportunity to ask questions and to be educated on adoption issues in general, as well as issues specific to various countries; this meeting usually lasts about three to four hours.  The next two visits are with each spouse individually, and can occur in either your home or our office.  We do our best to be accessible and convenient, therefore we can offer appointments during the day, in the evening, or on weekends.  The individual interviews are typically one and a half hours each.  The last visit is called a "home visit", and obviously must occur in your home.  This visit usually takes about one hour and all persons residing in your home must be present.  It is often possible to schedule more than one interview in a day, as families are usually very anxious to have the home study visits behind them - just ask the office for details!

If your worker recommends your family for an adoptive placement, a Written Home Study is completed.  The study is kept in our file, or it is sent to your placing agency or the Kentucky Interstate Compact Placement Commission if necessary. 

Please note, acceptance of your formal application and participation in the home study process does not guarantee that you will be recommended by our agency for placement of a child. If, during the course of the home study, we feel we cannot positively recommend your family for placement, we will inform you as soon as possible.  If this were to occur, we would explore, with you, other available options.  It is possible that an extended period of time could be required and a positive recommendation could be made at a later date.  Fees for services provided to the point of such notification are non-refundable.

The Waiting Period

Depending on a variety of factors, a family may wait for a referral on a child as little as a few months or as long as one year or more.  Waiting is hard for adoptive parents, but our agency will remain in contact with you and your placing agency (for families not utilizing the child-placing services of KAS, Inc) during this time.  For  domestic applicants, the home study must be updated every twelve months.  This is per state regulations, and renewal of supporting documents (physicals, references, criminal checks) is also required.  A greatly reduced fee is charged for completing an updated homestudy.

Post Placement Visits

Once a child has been placed in your home, usually three (although some agencies and states require more) Post Placement Visits are required. At least one visit should occur in your home, and both parents should be present for the in-home visit.  A report of each visit is written and is kept on file, or is forwarded to the placing agency take out - and/or placing country.  Time frame for post placements visits is usually one to twelve months.

Finalization and Court Report

This office will thoroughly explain this process during the initial interview, as it  can be confusing.  Once a petition for adoption is received, our agency prepares the required court report.  It is the family's responsibility to obtain proper legal assistance in petitioning for the legal adoption of the child, although we can usually refer a good attorney in your area.  After we have received a copy of the Final Judgment of Adoption and all post placement obligations have been met, our file is then closed, although the adoptive family must still honor their commitment of continuing to send pictures and updates to be shared with the biological family.