In detail: Adoption home study in Germany
Kick-off meeting
November 12, 2019, youth welfare office
The caseworker handed us a questionnaire on our adoption request (content here) and a questionnaire on the child profile (see “ The way to a fitting child profile? ”). She also asked for a “life report”, for which in our case existing CVs were sufficient.
Important: Make an appointment for a home visit directly and confirm that you will submit the documents well in advance.
​
Tip: Send a copy of CV and completed questionnaires by email in parallel also to the caseworker of the central adoption office. This ensures complete information because your questionnaire will contain more information than the official social report about the home study.
Participation in events for adoptive applicants
During this phase, we took part in all courses offered by the youth welfare office (including child development, attachment theory, dealing with children with trauma).
This was not mandatory but was positively noted by the youth welfare office. Later it even found its way into the official assessment by the state youth welfare office.
Tip: The seminars are really helpful regardless of their relevance for the documents. Much of the information will help you later. The more you can learn, the better.
Various Nov/Dec 2019, youth welfare office
Home visit
December 4, 2019, youth welfare office
The caseworker spoke to us about our adoption request and looked at the suitability of apartment and living area to raise one or more children.
Tip: You don't have to worry that the cleanliness under the sofa will be checked. There are also no exaggerated expectations of the size of the possible children's room or the like.
Psychological interview
The caseworker conducted a structured interview with psychological questions about our childhood.
​
We found the questions very interesting and could take some insights away for ourselves.
December 17, 2019, youth welfare office
Final meeting
February 17, 2020, youth welfare office
The caseworker showed us the draft of the social report for proofreading. Then she discussed our wishes for the child profile.
After the interview, she completed the social report and sent it to the central adoption office of the state youth welfare office.
Tip: You should inform the youth welfare office about the structure for the information on the child profile for Romania. You receive the current standardized form from the state youth welfare office. The social report needs to follow this structure. Otherwise, it has to be changed afterward at the request of the state youth welfare office (see also "The way to a fitting child profile?").