Summit Adoption Home Studies

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Child Referral Options for Minnesota Families

Adoption Home Study Services for Minnesota Families

ADOPTION HOME STUDY PROCESS

Summit Adoption Home Studies provides licensed home study services for residents of Minnesota for domestic, embryo and international adoptions. Home studies are required for a family to adopt a child anywhere in the U.S. or internationally. Home Studies can start the within several days of your decision to work with Summit Adoption Home Studies.

ADOPTION HOME STUDY FEES
consumer

New Home Study	Update Home Study for previously approved home study dated no more than 3 years ago
$2,300	$2,000
includes 1 post-placement visit/report to Court	includes 1 post-placement visit/report to Court
Post-placement visits after first one or extra home visits are $300 each	Post-placement visits after first one or extra home visits are $300 each

ADOPTION HOME STUDY REQUIREMENTS

Minnesota Department of Human Service has a designated Format for Adoptive Home Studies. Minnesota "Adam Walsh" background checks also require another set of fingerprints on cards to be provided to Summit Adoption Home Studies at the start of the home study process. These background checks include the FBI and child maltreatment records. Certain states may have more requirements which will be added to the home study for domestic adoptions if your child is born in a different state.

USCIS has a designated format for Hague Convention Country Adoptions and Non-Hague Convention Country Adoptions. Summit Adoption Home Studies provides exempt or supervised home studies for Hague accredited child referral agencies. Families are also fingerprinted again for the the USCIS background checks.

INTERVIEWS AND FINALIZING THE STUDY

The home study interviews are normally a positive experience for our families as the goal is to help support you as prospective adoptive parents.

The home study interview process for a new home study typically consists of 2 visits, each about 3-4 hours long. Minnesota requires that one of them be in your home. The update home studies may be able to be accomplished in 1 in-home visit (3-4 hours long) as the previous home study would have biographical information already compiled on you. More visits may be required because of requirements from a country or state. You will complete the adoptive parent educational requirements that are appropriate to your adoption plan during this period. The required background checks will also be in process.

At the completion of these visits, the family receives the draft of the home study which is 10 to 18 pages long to review. Your child referral agency will also review the draft to be sure it is customized for a particular country or state's needs.

When approved, notarized copies of the completed home study are provided to the family for domestic adoptions and international adoptions (to prepare the dossier).

POST-PLACEMENT SERVICES

After you are home with your child, you will provide a copy of your child's documents to Summit Adoption Home Studies
so post-placement services can begin to complete your adoption process!

INTERNATIONAL OR DOMESTIC PROCESS AFTER HOME STUDY IS COMPLETED

NON-HAGUE CONVENTION COUNTRY INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS

Summit Adoption Home Studies forwards the home study with the I-600A to United States Citizenship and Immmigration Services (USCIS) for I-600A advance processing approval for the family for a non-Hague Convention Country. Then you receive an approval letter from USCIS stating your approval of the I-600A. The I-171H form, your approved I-600A, is valid for 18 months. Fingerprints through USCIS are valid for 15 months from the date taken. The I-600 is filed when the child is adopted from the international country.

HAGUE CONVENTION COUNTRY INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS

The Hague Convention home studies are longer and take more time than for non-Hague countries due to the requirements of a Hague adoption. Summit Adoption Home Studies forwards the home study with a cover letter from your Hague accredited child referral service and the I-800A to the U.S. Central Authority for Hague Convention adoptions, for I-800A advance processing approval for the family. Then you receive an approval letter from the National Benefits Center stating your approval of the I-800A. The I-797 form, your approved I-800A, is valid for 18 months. Fingerprints through USCIS are valid for 15 months from the date taken. The I-800 is filed when the child is adopted from the international country.

DOMESTIC OR EMBRYO ADOPTIONS

Summit Adoption Home Studies provides the study to you or if needed, for your attorney and/or child referral
and/or ICPC for children born outside of Minnesota.

Click here for:

Request for Information Form

Scheduling an individualized information meeting

E-mail: summitadopt@uswest.net

1389 Summit Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105
Phone: 651-645-6657
Fax: 651-645-6713
E-mail: summitadopt@uswest.net