"If you live in the U.S. and are going to adopt, you will need an adoption home study. Many states require homestudies before a child can be placed in your custody as adoptive parents. It is recommended that you complete a homestudy as one of the first steps in your adoption process." (Referenced from Adoption.com)

One of the most un-nerving ordeals regarding adoption seems to be the adoption homestudy.

It does vary from state to state, agency to agency, and from each different type of adoption.

In layman's terms, a homestudy is exactly that. A study of your home.

However, a homestudy worker (usually a contractor working for an agency,... more