Home Study Q & A

I wrote the post that follows in the days leading up to our home study. No matter how much you try not to be nervous, inviting a new person to your home to study you is always a bit overwhelming.
Click here to read this post as it originally ran on my Daily Blog.

It is Sunday. I am at home, catching up on work, while JB is on call the entire day. Sunday call stinks! He left this morning and won't be home until Monday morning. Hopefully, if he sleeps tonight, we'll get to spend some time together on Monday. If he didn't, he'll sleep all day Monday.

Yesterday was a fun day. It has rained most of the weekend due to this tropical depression that swung near us. As a result, we couldn't walk Scrubs. So instead, we played hide-and-go-seek in the house with him in the morning. He loves this. One of us hides and he finds us, gets a treat, and then plays it with the other person. It also teaches him to "come" so that's good. Our dog teacher suggested it. Later in the evening, when the rain had died down for a bit, we went to the beach and played Frisbee. Scrubs is now catching the Frisbee in his mouth sometimes which is quite exciting. He just loves the water. Of course, that meant a bath when we got home. He's getting better about baths.

Yesterday, I posted about my home study. My mother-in-law posted a question about this:

Wendi, do you actually know what she is going to do-maybe someone who has gone thru this has given you some ideas? Does she just pretend to not be in your home and observe or does she interview you about your meal plan/diet, television preferences and the like all day?Or does she just act like a friend visiting and hang out? And will she be there all day for the three days or come and go between your home and the one in Tallahassee?

So, she will spend a few hours with us tomorrow evening. Then she'll get a hotel. On Tuesday she'll interview each of separately for about an hour. Then she'll go back to our hotel. Then on Wednesday, another short meeting with the two of us.

I have been seeking advice from others on my online support group. Here are some of the comments I have received. Some of these are from my friend Amy who adopted. Amy always knows what to do!

• I wouldn't be concerned with anything else. They just want to see where you live so they can vouch for you and feel confident you have a safe home. Safe doesn't mean baby-proofed at this point, but I suppose they don't want to see 20 cats and smell cat pee, or see roaches crawling around, your porch falling off your house, or your neighbors smoking crack out in the street. I don't think you'd have a problem with any of those.
• Our caseworker also wanted to know that we knew where the nearest hospital was, what schools are in the area, and had a fire escape plan for our home. A fire extinguisher is a good investment, and smoke detectors in each bedroom are a must. Even if they aren't yet installed, know whether you'll need to put one in somewhere.
• The social worker asked about us, how we met, what we believed, what we thought our parenting styles would be like. Lots of questions in an interview fashion. It was very relaxed and comfortable.
• I agree with the previous posts...you will clean like you never have before! I remember our SW coming for our domestic adoption and she didn't even want to see the baby room! I insisted that she take a look *lol* I bet she was amused...last year we were where you are right now...pursuing adoption from Haiti and also on the waiting list for domestic adoption.
• Oh yeah, I showed our caseworker our GARAGE! lol Like she cared! She was like, "Oh, that's nice."

So that's just a few bits of advice. I'm sure she'll look at the house, we'll talk, and then she'll go. I'll know more afterwards and definitely update you all.

I hear they also check on your pets. I hope Scrubs behaves and doesn't jump on her head like he did to me last night while I was on the phone with Kelsey!