What is a home study?

State law dictates whether an individual social worker, a private licensed child placing agency, or a public social service agency may perform the home study. The process is designed to evaluate the adoptive parents to assure that there is nothing in their homes or backgrounds which would be contrary to the best interests of the child.  It is an independent investigation to verify your suitability as adoptive parents.  In includes criminal and child abuse clearances and is valid for one year and can be updated annually. 

Maryland Public Agency

The adoption of children who have been placed in foster care in Maryland is conducted as an agency adoption. In those cases, the county department of social services acts in its capacity as a public child placing agency.  The public agency works to terminate the parental rights of the biological parents. The agency may then place the child for adoption with an existing foster family or another family selected to adopt the child. 

Public Agency Adoption

 Public Agency Adoption

 Foster care adoptions come through a public agency, such as the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Once a child has been removed from his or her home, DHHS will place the child into a foster care home. If the situation is not resolved and the child is not returned to his or her family, DHHS will initiate court proceedings to terminate the parents' rights. If DHHS obtains guardianship, the child will frequently be placed for adoption with the foster parents who have cared for her. The child may also be adopted by a relative such as a grandmother or aunt. The adoption thereafter proceeds by filing the Petition for Adoption and navigating the court system until the adoption is finalized similar to the private agency adoption .

The adoption of children who have been placed in foster care is conducted as an agency adoption. In those cases, the county department of social services acts in its capacity as a public child placing agency and works to terminate the parental rights of the biologic parents. The agency may then place the child for adoption with an existing foster family or another family selected to adopt the child.