Home Study Services

     No matter what your family needs are, you can count on Adoption Homes Studies for the support you deserve. We want all of our families to experience the impressive level of professionalism when working with Adoption Home Studies. All of our services exist to make your adoption process easier and stress free. You can trust us to provide you with the best adoption home study.  

     Our Home Studies are in compliance with the Texas Department of Family & Protective Service’s Minimum Standards and meets Standards & Guidelines for Social Study: State Bar of Texas Family Code, Law Section.  

     The home study process for a stepparent or kinship adoption is similar to a domestic adoption but in this type of home study, the child is usually identified and likely already in the home. The adopting parent could be a stepparent, grandparent, or other relative to the adoptive child or the partner of the natural parent. 

      When a single-person wants to adopt a child.  Whether your definition of "single" is in a relationship but unmarried or single and not in a relationship, you have options when it comes to your single parent adoption.   

      A second-parent adoption is when one partner adopts the other partner's biological or adopted child or children.  It allows the “second” parent to legally establish a parent-child relationship without the legal parent losing their rights to the child.  

     A Domestic Home Study is for adoptive parents wanting to complete an adoption of a child or children through a private attorney or a privately matched birth mother.  Domestic adoption (or private domestic adoption) refers to the placement of U.S.-born infants for adoption by their birth parents, who legally consent to the adoption with an adoptive family of their choosing.  

     In an independent adoption, the birth parents relinquish their parental rights directly to the adoptive parents through an attorney instead of an agency. Private independent adoption allows all parties involved to make choices about the parameters of openness as well as other aspects that may be important to either the adoptive or birth family.    

     LGBT adoption is the adoption of children by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender (LGBT) persons. If you are an LGBT person who is hoping to adopt, you have come to the right place! We support the LGBT community and want all prospective parents to succeed in their hopes of starting or continuing a family through adoption.  

     Parents looking to adopt their live-in foster child (ren) required to have a home study.  Many foster parents grow close to the child or children in their care which can make it difficult when they leave. In some circumstances, foster parents can – and many do – adopt children that come into their lives through the foster care system. 

     An addendum is when your existing home study (before expiration) needs to be modified with any changes or add-ons. In the event of any major life changes, such as a change in your employment, a move to a new house, a divorce, a birth, a change in household members, etc. This does not require you to obtain documents. This is a relatively simple process making changes to your current home study. 

       In Texas, home studies are good for one year and must be updated annually while you are still in the adoption process. For example, if your civil suit has not been finalized and your original home study is about to expire, an update to your original home study is required. This requires you to collect all the required documents again, medical history, background checks, financial statements, insurance forms, etc. for the home study and is titled Home Study Update. ​I can provide an update if your original home study was completed by another entity.   

     When a full home study evaluation is not needed. A tour of the home is conducted to ensure proper safety precautions and the basic safety features are in place when a child will be placed in the home.  

     When CPS temporarily takes custody of a child, known relatives or non-relatives to the child can request a home study be conducted so that the child can be placed in their home rather than foster care .

     -  Out-of-State Social Study Requests

     -  Pre-Home Screening/Social Study for ICPC: Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children                  

         (Interstate Compact and Private) 

     -  Child-Safety Home Verification for Out-of-State Cases (when a full home study evaluation is not        

         needed, a tour of the home is conducted to ensure proper safety precautions are in place before

         a child is permanently placed in the home) 

A Custody Evaluation follows the requirements of Chapter 107, of the Texas Family Code and is an intensive investigation dictated by Section 107.101 of the Texas Family Code.  

A Family District Court may order a child custody evaluation when conservatorship or possession/access of a child is contested. The evaluation is a forensic assessment of the needs of a child (ren) and each parent's or other parties' ability to meet those needs. Information is collected from interviews with the parents, child(ren), significant others and collateral witnesses; review of school, medical and mental health records; home visits; collateral sources, including court records, criminal histories, TDFPS history and personal references; and other sources to determine which placement is in the best interest of the child. 

Based on the amount of time it takes to complete an adoption home study, the following fees shall be determined. The fee includes a home visit/all household interviews; review of DPS, CPS, medical, court-filing documents, and personal documents; a home-safety inspection, full comprehensive report preparation; administration: notarization, 2-copies of the report: one to the court and one to your attorney, court filing expenses; and travel expenses will be added. 

Step-Parent/Kinship or LGBT             Starting at $600.00

Second-Parent                                     Starting at $800.00

Single Parent                                        Starting at $400.00

Domestic/Private or Independent     Starting at $800.00

Out-Of-State Services                         Starting at $1,000.00

Home Study Addendum                      $300.00

Home Study Update                            Initial fees apply (see above)

     Upon request, An expedited home study guarantees that you will have a draft of your home study ready within 1 month. This service is for cases wherein an adoptive child is aging out and/or medically fragile. 

                                                              Additional $500.00 added to the initial fees 

The fee includes home visits to both parties, all household member interviews, review of DPS, CPS, medical, court-filing documents, and personal documents; a home-safety inspection, full comprehensive report preparation; administration: notarization, 3-copies of the report: one to the court and one to each parties attorney, and court filing expenses. Travel expenses will be added. Based on the average amount of time it takes to complete a child-custody evaluation report, the following fees shall be determined:

                                                               Starting at $1,200.00 (divided between both parties)

After the investigation has been completed and the report has been filed, I will not engage in further investigation, monitoring, an update or addendum. If additional services or investigation become necessary after filing the completed report, a new court order must be obtained through a judge for additional services and additional fees must be paid, prior to the investigation being re-opened.

- Travel costs must be paid in advance. 

- Travel fees will include drive time from zip code 78414, tolls, parking, gas, airfare, etc. 

- GSA rates for lodging ($96 a night) and meals ($45 a day), when applicable.

- A minimum of 5-business days of notification is required. 

- $250.00 (non-refundable), per day, whether I testify or not. 

- Due before court date. 

- The fee is paid by the party or attorney requesting me to appear in court.

- Services will commence upon payment of initial fees.  

- The adoption evaluation or child-custody evaluation will take a minimum of 60 to 90 days,   

   respectively, once initial fees are paid in full. 

- Services can be paid with cash, a Cashier's check, or CashApp.

- Major credit cards are accepted with a 3.8% additional service fee. 

- Payment plans will be considered. 

- Personal checks and money orders are NOT accepted.  

                           Fees are non-refundable and are subject to change without notice.