China Adoption With Love, Inc. provides home study and post adoption services within Massachusetts, Florida, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, & New Hampshire for this agency's China Program only. These services are provided by licensed social workers in the states and supervised by an LICSW as required by each state where we are licensed.

A home study is required by the State of Massachusetts and all other states, United States Citizenship and Immigration Service and the People's Republic of China for all adopting parents. It ensures that children are placed in safe, stable and loving homes with families who are prepared for all that adoptive parenting entails. A home study is a written assessment of a person's or persons' ability to be competent, loving and nurturing adoptive parents. The process takes about 1-2 months involving at least 4 meetings with prospective adoptive parents including one home visit.

We believe that most persons considering adoption are capable, well-intentioned, and loving people who will make fine parents. We also believe that it is the legal and moral obligation of this agency to insure that prospective adoptive parents meet all state, federal and Chinese qualifications for adoption. It is also our obligation to help prospective adoptive parents understand the lifelong consequences of adoption and the unique challenges associated with Chinese adoption.

Although many people approach an adoption home study with fear and trepidation, picturing a difficult and intrusive process, this is not what you should feel or expect in your home study with us. Rather, we hope that you will find your home study to be a positive experience that helps you to feel better prepared for parenthood.

IMPORTANT UPDATE:  We now provide home study services for families planning to adopt from any Hague country.  We cannot be your placement agency for any country apart from China, however we can provide home study services that are compliant with Hague regulations.

The factors we will look into include your ability:

• to assess whether or not adoption is a viable option in your lives
• to understand and accept the risks of international adoption due to the lack of a prenatal medical and social history of the child
• to be approved by the Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information standard (CORI) and the Massachusetts DSS Central Registry of Alleged Perpetrators and Child Abusers (or respective agencies for different states)
• to meet one's own physical, emotional, spiritual and psychological needs as well as those of the adoptee and other children who may reside in the home
• to provide financial support for the child according to USCIS and Chinese requirements
• to meet the physical and safety standards of adoptive homes by MA Office of Child Care Services (or respective state department regulations for other states)
• to accept and deal with infertility issues, if applicable
• to understand and respect the importance of the concept of the birth family in the adopted child's life to acknowledge and respect one's own and the child's racial and cultural heritage and willingness to help a child integrate these issues and those of adoption into his/her life

You will need the following documents to complete the home study:

• Birth Certificate
• Marriage Certificate
• Proof of termination of any previous marriage
• Criminal Offender Record Investigation
• Child Abuse/Neglect Registry Investigation form (for every state lived in since 18yrs old)
• Physical examination reports that prove physical health and capacity to parent, physical examination reports of others in household.
• Verification of employment stating the length of employment, salary and benefits, and that an adopted child is entitled to health insurance.
• Copies of tax returns for the last three years and documentation of personal assets
• Three reference letters
• Autobiography
• Hague Training Certificate

When the home study is completed and approved, two copies of the home study are then given to the prospective adoptive parents. One copy is for them to send to USCIS (return receipt requested) and the other copy is for them to take to China with them. The third copy of the home study, plus all supporting documents, are then submitted by the social worker to our agency.

China Adoption With Love, Inc. does maintain the right to deny or postpone prospective adoptive parents at any stage during the process. If the home study is not approved by China Adoption With Love, Inc., we will discuss the reasons for the denial with applicants and families have the right to appeal our decision. Please note: the home study fee you have paid will not be refundable if you withdraw or fail to pass the home study.

It is very important to know your state's regulations with regard to how long the home study is valid for. In Massachusetts, the home study is valid for one year. Please be sure to speak with your social worker about your home study. It is your responsibility to keep track of the expiration date. We recommend that you contact your social worker about two months before the expiration date to start the home study update process. Our agency requires a new criminal background check, a new child abuse clearance and a home visit.

Post adoption services are required by our agency and by China. Although the adoption is finalized in China and recognized by the federal government, it is very important that the adoption is verified by a state court so the child has a record in the state system.

Post adoption services occur within the six years after placement. You are required by the CCCWA to provicde post adoption report at 1, 6 and 12 month in first year and three additional report at the end of second, third and fifth year. After the 6 month post-placement report is finished, we encourage parents to go to their regional probate courts to file for adoption in Massachusetts.

It is very important to comply with post adoption regulations to ensure more successful adoptions from China in the future!

Costs

The total cost for home study and post adoption/adoption services is $4,550. It is due prior to the first meeting of the home study. The home study fee of $1,750 is not refundable. The post adoption fee ($2,800) is refundable if the home study could not be approved by this agency. 

A home study is valid for one year from the date of approval. An update is done thereafter if a child has not yet been placed or if there is any change in status for the prospective adoptive parents (i.e. change in address, employment, health, criminal record, etc.). The home study update fee is $500.

Home Study Update(by CAWLI)

I600A Home Study Update Instructions

I800A Home Study Update Instructions

Translation Services

Translation outside of the dossier and necessary adoption documents can be provided through our agency at a fee of $20 per page. Call the office 1.800.888.9812 to request this service.