Caritas Family Solutions FAQ

1. Tell us a little about the founding and development of your organization?
   Caritas Family Solutions was founded in the 1940's and has always been a nonprofit social service agency that works to meet the physical, social, and emotional needs of vulnerable people in Illinois, from before birth through the golden years. We believe our community is strengthened when every person in it has a loving home and can create healthy relationships. Caritas Family Solutions currently supports individuals annually through programs including foster care, adoption, senior living services, homes for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, counseling, and family support initiatives.
2. How are your adoption home study and your organization unique?
   With Caritas Family Solutions, families will have access to professional and caring social workers who provide emotional and ongoing support throughout the adoption process. A Master level social worker who is experienced in his or her ?eld will conduct the home study, and our expectant parents work with specialists who provide individualized care and support to women or couples making the di?cult decision to place their child for adoption. We work with all types of families (LGBT, single parents, older families, families with children, families with no fertility issues). Additionally, our goal is to make our home studies affordable for all that desire to adopt.
3. Why are you passionate about adoption and the home study process?
   Our adoption sta? is supervised by an adoption manager who has over 25 years of experience as an adoption professional, and more than 15 years of them as a leader in the adoption community. Additionally, our agency has a heart for adoption with many of our staff members being adopted or have adopted themselves. Caritas sta? are trained adoption workers who are not only caring but desire to provide a premier experience, along with ethical adoption services in Illinois.
4. How long is an adoption home study valid?
   An adoptive home study is valid for one year based on Illinois standards. The home study worker keeps track of the expiration date, following through with the next steps so it does not expire. Caritas believes in making these updates affordable for all that desire to adopt.
5. Approximately how much time is necessary to complete an adoption home study by your organization?
   Caritas responds quickly and adapts to the timelines of prospective adoptive families. Once an application is submitted, we promptly schedule home visits at the family’s convenience. The goal for a finalized home study is 90 days from application, but the adoptive parent has the ability to speed up or extend the time period.
6. Can adoptive parents use a home study completed by your organization to adopt a child born in another state?
   Yes, our home study services are for families that live in Illinois. They are accepted across state lines for the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC), which ensures safe, legal, and uniform procedures for placing children across state lines for adoption.
7. If you complete my home study, do you also have to complete my post-placement visits?
   This solely depends on what state the family adoption finalizes in. Since each state has different laws, we communicate with the agencies and attorneys on the case to follow through with how many post-placements are required for the adoption.
8. How many post-placement visits does your organization require?
   A home study is required for every adoption. It is a detailed overview of the applicant's life, which includes background history, background checks, ?nancial standing, parenting experiences and viewpoints, information about the home, attitudes regarding adoption, personal relationships, medical history, and more. The home study is used by the courts to ensure a safe and stable environment is available for an adoptive placement. Once written by the social worker, it is reviewed and approved by the pre-adoptive family before finalizing. An original home study is provided to the family and per the family's request, can be provided to agencies/attorneys at no additional cost.
9. What is some advice you can give to potential adoptive families about the home study process? What should they be prepared for?
   The home study process can feel overwhelming at first. Families are often presented with a large amount of paperwork, which can make the process seem daunting. To reduce this burden, we are there to guide and support families with the belief that it is our job to be available and answer all questions efficiently. Additionally, the worker focuses on building a supportive relationship that is ongoing from the start of the home study to after placement. The experience and approach by our workers are to make all interactions to be personable rather than intimidating. We believe in preparing and empowering families and to see the home study agency as a part of their social support system.
10. What do your home study social workers look for in a home and a family when they visit potential adoptive families' homes?
    A home study is required for every adoption. It is a detailed overview of the applicant's life, which includes background history, background checks, ?nancial standing, parenting experiences and viewpoints, information about the home, attitudes regarding adoption, personal relationships, medical history, and more. The home study is used by the courts to ensure a safe and stable environment is available for an adoptive placement. Once written by the social worker, it is reviewed and approved by the pre-adoptive family before finalizing. An original home study is provided to the family and per the family's request, can be provided to agencies/attorneys at no additional cost.
11. Are you Hague accredited, and if not, does your international home study comply with Hague International Standards?
    We are not Hague accredited but can work with a Hague Accredited agency to supervise our international home studies.
12. Do you have experience in completing the home study and working with international placement companies?
    Our agency and adoption manager have completed many international home studies.
13. Are there other services and benefits you would like to share about your company?
    Caritas offers a comprehensive range of adoption services, including home studies for all types of adoptions, education and training, post-placement supervision, court reports, post-adoption services, ICPC services, independent adoption services, expectant and birth parent counseling, and more.