Adoption Evaluations
East Texas Counties
Adoption evaluations, sometimes still referred to as adoption home studies, are designed to help the court evaluate whether a proposed adoption supports the safety, stability, permanency and overall best interests of the child. Under the Texas Family Code, an adoption evaluation may include both pre-placement and post-placement components and involves an assessment of the circumstances, home, and social environment of the person seeking to adopt the child.
I complete private adoption evaluations for families pursuing stepparent, grandparent, relative and other private adoptions. While evaluating the physical home environment is part of the process, an adoption evaluation is much more than simply looking at the home. The comprehensive evaluation is aimed at consideration of the child's safety, relationships, needs and the family's readiness to provide a stable and permanent home.
Please note: Adoption evaluations are completed in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Texas Family Code, Chapter 107, Subchapter E, as well as the specific requirements of the appointing court. Texas Law generally requires an adoption evaluation in an adoption proceeding, although the court may waive that requirement in certain uncontested stepparent adoptions when statutory requirements are met.
I primarily accept adoption evaluations in Camp, Franklin, Hopkins, Lamar, Titus, Upshur and Wood counties. Evaluations in other counties may be considered on a case-by-case basis; however additional travel requirements may increase the overall cost of the evaluation.
More Than a Home Study
Adoption represents much more than a legal change in a child's name or family structure. For many children, it represents belonging, permanency, security and the formal recognition of the people they already consider family.
My approach is to complete each evaluation thoroughly and objectively while also remembering that there is a real child and a real family behind every court document. When developmentally appropriate, I believe children should have the opportunity to be heard and to have their experiences, relationships, and feelings considered as part of understanding what permanency means for them.
The purpose of the evaluation is not to create a "perfect family" checklist. It is to provide the court with a thorough and professional assessment of the family system and whether the proposed adoption is consistent with the best interests of the child.