The Home Assessment Process
While home assessments and adoptions aren’t the norm, they’re often necessary. We’ve written assessments for Missouri Courts since 2004 and recently began writing assessments for Missouri Children’s Division. Unfortunately, they’re critical and often necessary for families pursuing either private adoption or foster care.
We presently provide assessments throughout the State of Missouri and contract with Missouri Children’s Division to write home assessments for foster and adoptive parents.
In addition, we have provided expert witness testimony for our assessments in not only Missouri, but also Arkansas, California, Illinois and Oklahoma.
The assessment includes:
HOME EVALUATION
The home evaluation will evaluate the safety of the home environment to assure safety is maintained for a child. Prospective foster and adoptive parents can expect a minimum of one – three visits to their home and will include evaluating the living conditions, safety and cleanliness of the family home. The evaluation may or may not provide recommendations to the family of needed changes.
ASSESSMENT OF PARENTING
The assessment process will evaluate a potential foster or adoptive parent’s ability to provide a safe and nurturing environment for a child in their home.
BACKGROUND CHECKS
Potential foster and/ or adoptive parents may have to complete a series of background checks to assure suitability. During the process we will also request a minimum of three personal references , an employer reference and if the family has children in school; a school reference will be necessary.
INTERVIEWS/ ASSESSMENTS
Prospective Foster and/ or Adoptive parents may be required to participate in training and education to prepare themselves for fostering and/ or adoption.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Prospective Foster and/ or Adoptive parents may be required to participate in training and education to prepare themselves for fostering and/ or adoption.
ASSESSMENT REPORT
A comprehensive report is provided with the Findings and Recommendations regarding a foster parent and/ or adoptive parents suitability. These reports are used by local agencies, courts and other officials to make decisions as to placement and the best interests of a minor child.
TESTIMONY
To date, Price Consulting, LLC has provided testimony for not only our assessments, but also Jurisdictional Transfer of Minor cases in Arkansas, California, Illinois, Missouri and Oklahoma.