Unlike natural birth where you and your partner can have a child without any parenting classes, without any look at your finances, without any visits to your home to make sure you are "fit"; those considering adoption must have their lives turned inside out and every detail scrutinized before they are allowed to be parents. The primary way you are scrutinized during this process is with the homestudy. No matter what type of adoption you are considering, you will have to have a homestudy completed.

You don't have to be rich or own your own home to adopt. The social worker will be looking over your life to make sure you can financially handle the added addition to your family. She will be asking questions to make sure that you and your spouse, if you have one, agree on how to raise children, and how you both feel about adoption, and she will also look over your house to make sure that you have enough room for an additional child.

Below you will find a list of questions and resources your social worker may use for your homestudy visits.

Resources You Must Compile for the homestudy

• Your Autobiography. You will either have to provide a written autobiography or a timeline with information about yourself. Just start with when you were born and include facts that will help the social worker learn more about how you were raised, major stepping stones in your life, and a little about how you feel about life in general. It is very easy, and sometimes the social worker will provide you with a list of items she wants included.
• Major Documents. You will need to have copies of the following Birth Certificates, Marriage License, Divorce Decrees, Death Certificates, Tax Returns, Bank Account Statement, and Local Police Arrest Record. You gather these documents yourself and give them to your social worker on the first or second visit. (to save yourself time in the future, get one extra copy of everything).
• Your Signature. Your social worker will need to do a criminal background check at the state level. She will also need to check with Child Protective Services to make sure you don't have any child abuse charges against you. In order to do this, she will need you to sign a release for her to check these resources.
• Physical and Bloodwork. You will need to have a physical taken at your doctor's office. If you are doing a Ukraine adoption, you will also need a letter from your doctor, notarized stating you are free of Aids, tuberculosis, syphilis and all mental diseases.
• References. You will need to ask 3-5 of your friends and co-workers to write a reference letter for you. Make sure one of those put down for references is your employer. If you regularly attend church, ask your pastor to be a reference. It is sometimes required that your references know you for at least three years. If your references can, they should be able to write positively about how you raise children (if you have them) ...or how you interact with other children.

Questions You May Be Asked

• Family Questions. Where you were born, brothers and sisters, names and ages of parents, contact with siblings now that you are grown, do you live in same town as relatives.
• Marital Questions. How did you meet your spouse, when did you marry, how long have you been married, how do you solve differences between you, any biological children, how do they feel about adoption. Did you have to deal with infertility, did you have counseling to assist in infertility issues.
• Adoption Questions. What type of child are you looking for, does ethnic background matter, what age child do you want, will you accept a child with treatable problems, why do you want to adopt, what led you to Ukraine.
• Childcare Questions. Will you work after the adoption is finalized, who will provide childcare, who will take care of the child if something happens to you, what are your views of preschool .
• Education Questions. How much education have you had, favorite subjects, degrees you have acquired, how will you afford education for your child.
• Religious Questions. What religion are you, will you bring your child up in church, what values will you teach your child.
• Living Questions. What is your typical schedule each day, have you considered how your life will change once you add a child, is your neighborhood safe for child, do you have a backyard or play area for the child.
• Future Questions. What do you see in your child's future, if your child wants to contact his biological parents would you assist him.