Health Statements. Most agencies require prospective adoptive parents to have some form of physical exam. A serious health problem that affects life expectancy may prevent approval.

Income Statements. You do not have to be rich to adopt; you just have to show you can manage your finances responsibly and adequately. Usually, prospective parents are asked to verify their income by providing copies of paycheck stubs, W-4 forms, or income tax forms.

Background Checks. Most States require criminal and child abuse record clearances for all adoptive and foster parent applicants.

Autobiographical Statement. Many adoption agencies ask prospective adoptive parents to write an autobiographical statement. This is, essentially, the story of your life. This statement helps the social worker better understand your family and assists him or her in writing the home study report (see below).

References. The agency will probably ask you for the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three or four individuals to serve as references for you. References help the social worker form a more complete picture of your family and support network.

The Home Study Report

Typically, the above steps culminate in the writing of a home study report that reflects the social worker's findings. Home study reports often are used to "introduce" your family to other agencies or adoption exchanges (services that list children waiting for families) to assist in matching your family with a waiting child.

In general, home study reports include the above-mentioned health and income statements, background checks, and references, as well as the following types of information:

• Family background
• Education/employment
• Relationships
• Daily life
• Parenting
• Neighborhood
• Religion
• Feelings about/readiness for adoption