Love and Hope Adoptions FAQ

1. Tell us a little about the founding and development of your organization?
   We were founded originally to help families adopt older children, the ones in foster and needing a home but *** we specialize in all kinds of home studies. What we do more than anything else, is home studies for domestic adoptions.
2. How are your adoption home study and your organization unique?
   Our home studies are unique in that we complete them in 4 weeks. We do not waste time. ***We have not changed our prices since 2009. Our home study fee is $1,200.
3. Why are you passionate about adoption and the home study process?
   I have personally been in the adoption field for 20+ years. My first job was as a weekend house parent for pregnant girls. I worked with birth moms for so long that when I founded this agency, I decided we would focus on home studies. We provide home study services for families wishing to adopt newborns but who are working with an out of state agency. Therefore, they need the home study service in the state they reside, TN, and we can offer that service. We also provide home study services to families adopting a child who is a family member. We do home studies for families wanting to adopt an older child in the foster system who is adoption ready. We do not do newborn adoption placements or work with birth moms.
4. How long is an adoption home study valid?
   1 year and then background checks need to be done again.
5. Approximately how much time is necessary to complete an adoption home study by your organization?
   4 to 5 weeks
6. Can adoptive parents use a home study completed by your organization to adopt a child born in another state?
   Yes, our home studies are good nationwide and we specialize in this.
7. If you complete my home study, do you also have to complete my post-placement visits?
   We do not have to but normally the family wants us to provide post service as well.
8. How many post-placement visits does your organization require?
   It is based on the state you adopt from and their requirements, what state you are finalizing the adoption in. We do not make that decision or impose a specific number. For example, SC requires 1, PA requires 3, FL requires them until finalization. TN adoptions typically require 2. It is whatever your placing agency and attorney tell us.
9. What is some advice you can give to potential adoptive families about the home study process? What should they be prepared for?
   We tell families not to be nervous. That they really start out approved and unless there is an issue that disqualifies them, they stay approved. For example, a disqualifying issue would be a felony of some kind and it depends on the felony and how long ago it was, etc.
10. What do your home study social workers look for in a home and a family when they visit potential adoptive families' homes?
    The home does not have to be baby proof. The family knows ahead of time what we look for because the list is provided to them. It is simple and straight forward.
11. Are you Hague accredited, and if not, does your international home study comply with Hague International Standards?
    We are not Hague accredited. We provide domestic home study services.
12. Do you have experience in completing the home study and working with international placement companies?
    We use to do these as a contractor for Hague agencies before when laws changed we focused on just the domestic ones.
13. Are there other services and benefits you would like to share about your company?
    Not at this time.