Adoption ARK provides expedient and excellent Home Study Services for their clients who reside in the State of Illinois. Our philosophy about home studies is that it should be a user-friendly, educational and informative service. We hope clients will find it beneficial, helpful, and even enjoyable! The goal of the home study process is to educate our clients on the process of international adoption, as well as prepare them for the joys and challenges of raising children adopted into the family.
Our Home Study Department is headed by Ellen Taylor, LCSW. An adoptive mother herself, Ellen has extensive child-oriented social work and adoption experience. Her pre-adoption social work experience includes work in foster care, family violence and medical social work. In the adoption field Ellen has worked with birthparents to facilitate domestic adoptions, conducted home studies and provided formal adoption preparation training for prospective adoptive parents.
Home Study Documents
In addition to the home study application, you will need to gather some additional documents to submit with the application. Following is a partial list that will be needed to complete your International Home Study. These items are listed for you now as a courtesy in the event that you wish to bring them with you at your first meeting with the home study worker. You can also elect to send them in or give them to your worker at a later date:
If you have already opened up your USCIS file, be sure you note your filing date (located on the form attached to your receipt) so that you can let Adoption ARK know the date. (No documentation is needed.)
- Birth Certificates (photocopy for each household member)
- Marriage License (photocopy)
Divorce Decree for Every Previous Marriage (photocopy)
- Pet Inoculation Certificate (photocopy needed for each dog and/or cat)
- Well Water Report (required if you have a well on your property)
- Tax Return (a photocopy of your most recent tax return)
- Current Paycheck Stub(s) (a recent one for each applicant)
Homestudy Fees
1. Fee for clients who are working with Adoption Ark for homestudies and international adoption is $2,200
(application included, as well as the one month and six month post placement fee—one year, two year, and three year post placement is not included)
2. Fee for families who use the homestudy department for their homestudies, but do not follow up with international adoption using Adoption Ark is $2,900
(this fee does not include any post placement fees.)
*Each post placement fee for families using Adoption Ark as a placing agency is $200;
*Each post placement fee for families using other placing agencies is $300
Learn more about our upcoming seminars
Download Application for Home Study Services
For more information, email us at homestudy@adoptionark.org or call (847) 215-2755 ext. 374.