I’m Pregnant
If you're facing an unintended pregnancy or have recently given birth, we're here for you with free and confidential all-options counseling, resources, and support. Call or text our pregnancy counselors 24/7 at 800-439-0233.
Home Study
We believe that each family who adopts deserves professional, ethical and sensitive treatment during the adoption home study experience. We also believe that each child who is adopted needs a permanent family that will provide the best possible parenting, no matter their challenges.
Home Study Services
Since 1990, Adoptions Together, a program of Paths for Families, has provided thousands of families in Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia with high-quality home study services. Read through the resources below to learn about the process. If you have any questions, concerns, or just want to discuss what your options for adoption are, send our team an email or give us a call!
Learn More About Adoption Home Studies:
Home Study Costs
How much does a home study for adoption cost? Adoptions Together, a program of Paths for Families, offers home study services for families in Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia. Pricing varies for different services and circumstances.
Home Study Process
What is the adoption home study process? What can you expect from your home study? Read on to learn the most common steps for families doing their home study through Adoptions Together, a program of Paths for Families.
International Adoption
Adoptions Together, a program of Paths for Families, offers Hague accredited home studies for international adoption to families living in Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia. We are not a primary adoption provider for international adoption, but will work with your provider for home study, pre-adoption training, and post-adoption and post-placement services.
What is a Home Study?
Home studies help prepare prospective adoptive parents for the tasks of raising a child who was not born into their family. They also provide assurance to individuals who are responsible for placing a child for adoption that the family is properly equipped to take care of a child. A home study consists of a series of interviews with a social worker, the collection of documents about the family, and a written narrative report. Adoption home studies are required in most states and, if you are adopting internationally, by the United States Citizen Immigration Service (USCIS) and the country where the child resides.
Eligibilities
Families obtaining a home study through Paths for Families must be open to raising a child of any gender or sexuality.
Please note that below are the eligibility requirements for a domestic home study. Eligibility varies from country to country for international home studies.
Location Eligibility
Adoptions Together, a program of Paths for Families, is licensed to provide adoption home study services in Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia.
Age and Health Eligibility
- The minimum age to adopt is 25 years of age. Couples must be married for 1 year or have been partnered and living together for at least 2 years at the time of the home study application.
- Adoptions Together requires that a single parent must be 50 years or younger at the time of application for the adoption of an infant. If part of a couple, the couple’s combined age should not exceed 100. Ages may be older if you are adopting from foster care.
- The prospective parent should be in sufficient health to be expected to raise a child to adulthood.
Financial Eligibility
Sufficient financial resources are required at the time of adoption home study approval to afford adoption expenses and to provide adequate care for the child by adoption. All family members need to be covered by medical insurance. The primary earner must have life insurance to cover one year of salary. The reason for these financial guidelines is to protect both the child by adoption and the family from serious financial distress.
Note: Avoid Adoption Facilitators
No matter where you are, we urge you to learn about and avoid adoption facilitators. Adoption facilitators are unethical, unlicensed, and profit-motivated companies that exploit both expectant/birth parents and adoptive families.
Please consider the following resources:
- The Commodification of Humans by Unlicensed Facilitators
- AdoptMatch and AdoptChange
- The AdoptChange Provider Search Tool offers expectant and adoptive parents transparency as they search for an adoption professional. This free tool provides accurate, reliable, and previously hard-to-find information about adoption providers in every state.