This morning, to really get in the spirit of today’s post, to truly feel the family atmosphere, I decided the best thing I could possibly do would be to eat a bowl of cereal.
I mean, they do say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right?
What’s interesting is that I didn’t just choose any old cereal. No, no no! With my arm outstretched above the fridge, I chose the box of cereal deemed “Kid tasted | Mother approved”, which is the obvious breakfast choice for one looking to create a family inspired feeling.
It tasted good and curbed my hunger, but the real stunner came when I turned to the backside of the box. Happily staring up at me I noticed a section of random facts entitled “Kernels of Knowledge”…. which got me to thinking of our term posts.
So here’s a term that’s a good “kernel of knowledge” to store in your noggin:
Home Study (also may be referred to as Adoption Study):
A home study is a written description of you and your family. It’s composed by a Licensed Social Services Worker (LSSW) or a licensed agency and is utilized to determine which child would best fit in with your family.
Some studies may take only one month to complete while others may take as much as six months. The different components involved may include, but are not limited to the following:
-Interviews with all family members residing in the home (separately as well as together)
-Home visits
-Group meetings with the agency
-Participation in adoption information training classes
-References from friends and co-workers
-Personal documentation (medical history, financial information, criminal background, proof of employment, etc.)
*Please consult your social services department or adoption agency for further information.