Are you going through the process of embryo adoption, and the agency you are working with has asked you to complete a home study? Well, it would be helpful to know why this is done, and what to expect.

It might sound like an additional step and more work to collect documents and fill in detailed forms. However, as someone who has completed a homestudy for our embryo adoption, and also having worked in child welfare with children in care looking for a permanent home, I value the importance of this step.

In this article, my goal is for you to have an understanding of what a home study is, what it includes (what to expect), and why it is beneficial for all involved.

What is a home study?

A home study is like an assessment or evaluation that is done usually by a social worker or a licensed professional. In Ontario there is a standardized assessment home study that is done for child adoptions, whether it is public, private or inter-country adoption. For embryo adoption it is a grey area since there is no live child, and there is no requirement. However, most embryo adoption agencies have their own home study assessment or evaluation that they follow. It is worth noting that some embryo adoption agencies do not require a home study or an evaluation.

What is the purpose of a home study?

The purpose of a home study is first and foremost to evaluate/assess the family if they have the capacity to welcome a child in their lives. This sounds daunting and stressful, especially since we know that lots of people have biological children including through IVF, without undergoing any form of assessments. However, it is worth noting that this is a genuine move to vet as much as possible for any unlawful motives, such as child labour, or previous child welfare involvement. There is a huge responsibility when placing a live child. But also for families who are donating their embryos, I imagine it gives peace of mind to know that they are going to a family that has the capacity and well intentions to care for the children that result from the embryos.

Having said all this, the home study or evaluation is usually done in a non-judgemental and strength based way. Recommendations might be given as well as educational support to ensure a successful placement. For instance, infant CPR and First Aid might be a recommendation, or the importance of having a ‘support network’ (support people to help you care for yourself and the child/ren) and supporting you in building one.

In addition, since embryo adoption is different from live children adoption, a home study or evaluation for the purpose of embryo adoption might include educational material and support specific to embryo adoption. The worker completing the home study would help the family understand how embryo adoption would impact their life, and look at strengths that the family already has to support a successful adoption.

Since most adoptions are now ‘open’ which means there is some form of contact with the donating family, the home study would also support the family around this process – how the adopting family feels about this, what it means for the child, etc.

What does a home study include?

Since there is no standardized home study assessments for embryo adoption, the requirements vary from agency to agency. However, for the purpose of this article, we will look at the requirements of the mandatory home study done in some US states and Canadian provinces, which follows a standardized assessment – the Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE). The agencies that work in embryo adoption would more or less model their home study or evaluation based on the SAFE assessment.

• a questionnaire to be completed prior to worker’s visit/assessment. The questionnaire goes over family functioning and history. It gives the opportunity for the family to reflect, and a starting point for the worker to build on. The SAFE questionnaire 1 consists of 56 questions – mostly multiple choice, but you can choose multiple answers. Some questions are: “Who primarily raised you?”, “Check the boxes that best describe what your childhood experience was like”, “Who primarily disciplined you during your childhood?”, “When you were a child, with whom would you confide?”, “Have you ever been in a custody dispute?”, “How often do you and spouse/partner argue?”, ” “How helpful and supportive do you feel members of your extended family are/will be to you as a parent?”, “How do/will you discipline a child in your care?”, “What is the overall condition of your health?”.
• a worker will complete another questionnaire with the family. This questionnaire covers behaviours of the family. The SAFE questionnaire 2 asks about things such as any historical or present drug use, alcohol use, gambling, controlling temper, domestic violence. The answers to these questions determine the impact on family’s ability to parent. Other questions would cover motivation to adopt, education, employment, finances, health, personality (such as “how do you deal with stress?”), relationships, parenting styles, hobbies, religion/spirituality.
• Reference letters to be completed by individuals that the family chooses. The reference letters are usually mailed out and returned directly to the worker/agency.
• Interviews – this is where the worker ‘interviews’ the family on 3 separate occasions. One as an introduction, one is to complete the SAFE questionnaire 2, and one to go over the relationship of family and supports.
• For the interviews the worker visits the home, and conducts a home assessment, where safety is assessed – so things like windows and screens are secure, medication is locked up or stored out of children’s reach, functional smoke detectors, pets cared for well, etc.
• Police record checks and fingerprints, child welfare records, health history usually completed by a doctor.
• The worker then completes a report that summarizes all that was gathered. In a SAFE homestudy there is a standard structure/template that is followed. The family would then receive a copy of the report, and this is valid for 2 years. After 2 years an update would be required.

Now this seems intense. However, it is not about perfect individuals.

How long does it take to complete?

This varies case by case. For the SAFE home study it takes about 6 months. However, private embryo adoption agencies usually take less than that. Also one has to take into consideration the amount of time the family requires to collect documentation such as police clearance, child welfare, references, etc.

How much does a home study cost?

Again this varies from agency to agency. Since embryo adoption agencies are private or not-for-profit, they have different fees. In addition, sometimes the home study fee is included in the agency fee, especially if the home study is a requirement.

Why is a home study beneficial?

Based on this information, it becomes clearer why a home study or evaluation is useful. It gives peace of mind to the donating family and the embryo adoption agency that a vetting process was done prior to placing an embryo with a family. And for the adopting family it prepares them for embryo adoption. The questions together with the worker’s support would help to strengthen the family, or address any challenges that might arise before they do.