Home Study Services

Home Services

Families United Network is dedicated to assisting your family through your unique international or domestic adoption journey. The first step in your journey is to complete a home study. We will help you through this process and make it as transparent as possible.

The home study can be personalized to meet the needs of the placement agency (Primary Provider) you may be working with. Our home study services are available to the entire state of Pennsylvania and we have flexible scheduling options.

The home study steps include:

1. We will review your inquiry information
2. We will return the Application, Retainer Agreement and Deposit
3. You will receive a handbook with instructions and forms needed to complete the home study
4. We will contact you to schedule your first home visit
5. You will participate in a home interview with us
6. You will complete the forms, documents, clearances, health statement, training and references needed for a home study and make sure we receive them.
7. We will work with your placement agency to ensure the home study meets their needs for the adoption. We will review the interagency agreements.
8. We will give you and your placement agency copies of your completed home study.
9. We will always track the expiration dates of your home study to ensure compliance.

Services

Post Adoption & Post Placement Services

Once your family is matched with a child and you return home together, we will provide you with the post adoption or post placement services needed. Your needs will depend upon the state or country your child is from.

If you have adopted and find yourself struggling on your parenting journey, you are not alone! Families United Network offers post permanency services through the Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network to help you through the hard times! Please don’t wait until you’re in crisis mode to seek help. We can be there to help and support you as soon as an adoption is finalized if you want it! Post permanency services are available to families who reside in Pennsylvania and have adopted a child who is now between the ages of 0-18. If your adopted child was over the age of 12 at the time of the adoption, post permanency services can be accessed until your child reaches the age of 21.

Services are offered to families who have adopted through:
– Foster Care Adoptions
– Domestic Adoptions
– International Adoptions

Case Advocacy: designed to help keep a family together; the case advocacy worker may play different roles, depending on the family’s needs, such as educator, listener, supporter, resource seeker, etc.
Respite Care: designed to re-energize the family; respite services can be used in a variety of ways, such as for traditional respite, activities for the child, or activities for the parent and child to do together.
Support Group: designed to create connections; support groups often result in additional learning for the adoptive family and minimize feelings of isolation.

If you are interested in any of these services, you should contact the SWAN helpline: 1-800-585-SWAN and request Families United Network. We do not always have support groups in all of our regions. If you are interested in a support group and we do not have one at the time of your request, we would be happy to recommend another support group for you!