A home study agency will be licensed by your home state to conduct home study assessments. That agency will not be involved in the actual child placing component of the adoption process. There are three reasons why families use separate home study and child-placing agencies:

1.If the child-placing agency is out of state, you need a separate home study agency licensed in North Carolina to prepare your home study.

2.Having a home study prepared by an independent home study agency ensures that, for now and in the future, you have the option of working with whatever child-placing agency or agencies you choose. You are not tied to using the agency that prepared your home study for your actual adoption.

3.As in many other professional fields, it is always a good idea to have important work done by “specialists” – those with intensive experience and training in one particular area.

Always feel free to call or email our office and we would be glad to discuss the fees applicable to your specific situation or you can access our standard fee agreement here.

Application fee:
Nathanson Adoption Services does not charge a separate application fee.

Education/Classes:
Our agency has no separate educational requirements for families pursuing domestic adoption.  For our families choosing international adoption, there is an additional educational component required by USCIS.  We suggest you work with your child-placing agency to determine how best to meet this requirement. 

Travel fee:
With almost two dozen social workers located throughout the state, our agency assigns the social worker that is located as close to you as possible in an effort to avoid the possibility of additional fees to our adoptive families.  However, based on distance, a travel fee may apply.

We have several timing options available to meet the needs of each of our adoptive families.  Our expedited reports can be complete in 2 weeks and our standard reports are complete in 8 to 11 weeks.

Nathanson Adoption Services is proud of its reputation as a highly responsive and compassionate agency.  We understand that urgent situations occur and for those families we offer our “mega-expedited” service, which means that we can complete your home study in as quickly as three to five business days.  There is an additional fee for this service – please see our Fee Agreement.

Since our families report that writing an autobiography can slow down the process by weeks and months, we do not require one. Rather, our social workers spend the time and effort during the interviews to learn more about your personal history.

Typically, there are three visits, two at the social worker’s office, and one in the home. Sometimes, your placing agency may require more visits, in which case we comply with those requirements.

Yes!  After the home study is written, you will receive two notarized originals of the final assessment.  We firmly believe in allowing our adoptive families to maintain complete control over their original reports so you can share it with your selected child-placing agency and/or attorney.

Yes, we invite you and encourage you to speak to the social worker in your area at any time.

Yes, during the course of the home study, we can advise you about your various adoption options, recommend child-placing agencies, and refer you to other adoptive parents who have completed the type of adoption you may be considering. We have found that our past clients are very glad to share their experiences and information with prospective adoptive parents, and we have a huge network of adoptive families throughout the state from which to draw.

Yes, at Nathanson Adoption Services, we do not require you to be a traditional “mother/ father” family. We work with all people who wish to adopt. We look for people who have a love of children, a strong desire to become a parent, and the ability to care for and provide a stable home for a child.

The Hague regulations govern certain international adoptions. Yes, we are compliant with Hague regulations as a Supervised Provider, and have successfully worked with many families adopting from Hague countries. In fact, a Nathanson Adoption Services home study was among the first Hague home studies ever approved by the U.S. Nathanson Adoption Services of North Carolina is a non-profit agency. We also carry $1 million in liability insurance. Feel free to have your child-placing agency contact us to establish this “Supervised Provider” relationship.

Possibly, as each case is evaluated on its own merits. It is important to be open and honest with your social worker about problems your family may have had, whether it is substance abuse, criminal history, financial losses or marital problems.  We do not judge people for previous difficulties. Rather, we applaud them for working through their problems and respect those who have overcome difficult obstacles.