California Adoption Home Study Services

Eligibility Requirements for Home Study Services

california_simpleNightlight® Christian Adoptions is licensed by the California Department of Social Services to select suitable families for children needing adoption. The selection of adoptive parents is based on their eligibility to meet state and agency requirements, foreign country requirements (if applicable), their capacity for adoptive parenthood, and the availability of children whose needs they can meet.

RESIDENCE

Nightlight can perform home studies for families living within Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura Counties and are able to help families in other counties on a case by case basis. There would be additional fees for travel in other counties.

RELIGION

Applicants must be committed to providing their child with a constructive, wholesome and spiritual home environment.

HEALTH

Adoptive applicants must give evidence of good health, both physical and mental, which will be verified during the application process by medical examinations and psychological evaluations.

AGE

None; however, the agency you are working with to complete your adoption may have age requirements.

MARRIAGE

Adoptive applicants need to be married for a minimum of two years at the time of application. Married applicants must have satisfying and secure marriage. Single applicants are eligible to adopt if they meet the qualifications.

EDUCATION

Classes and reading are required of adoptive families pertaining to parenting skills and adoption issues. Our goal is to prepare you to be the best parents possible for your child.

FINANCES

Adoptive applicants must be able to provide a financially stable home, demonstrated by a solid credit history and ability to live within their means.

PREGNANCY

Before beginning the adoption process, all applicants need to be complete with infertility treatments so that they can completely focus on the adoption process. If during the home study or adoption process, prospective adoptive parents become pregnant, they need to notify Nightlight immediately. Their file will be placed on hold until the child is one year of age, at which time they may reenter the adoption process.

HOME STUDY SERVICES GETTING STARTED CHECKLIST

We would love to see you at one of our free information seminars! These seminars are an excellent way to have your preliminary questions answered, get to know the Nightlight staff and meet other families beginning the adoption process. Seminars are held every 2-3 months. Visit our Adoption Seminars Page or call the office for more information and to RSVP for an upcoming seminar. You can also call to speak with one of our experienced staff members to get more information about any of our adoption programs or about our home study process.

How do we get started?

  1. Fill out an online Application – This is the first step in the process. All prospective adoptive parents considering a home study with Nightlight need to complete this online application. If you have questions or concerns, please call or email our office. Upon completion of your application, we will review it and contact you. Once we contact you and you wish to proceed in the home study process with Nightlight, please follow step 2.
  2. Sign the Agreement Form that will be emailed to you once your application has been approved. Mail it to our office along with the Initial Home Study Phase fee.  The fee for a California home study is $2500, whether it’s for domestic or international adoption.
  3. Once we receive the Agreement Form and check, we will walk you through the process of completing your home study. We will be there to support you through the paperwork, education, and social work visits.

* If you would like additional information about Nightlight’s home study services or answers to some of our most frequently asked questions before you complete an online application, please download our CA Home Study Information Packet

* If you have questions or concerns after reading through the information packet, please call our California office at (714) 693-5437, and we would love to answer your questions! You can contact our California office by phone at the number above or by email at michelle@nightlight.org.