Can an Independant Social worker do my home study?

This is a GREAT question to ask as it could potentially save you thousands of dollars. However, please keep in mind that each state has it's own laws about this so do as much research as you can and ask people in your state. In Texas we were able to use an independent social worker and it saved us about $1500 so definatly worth the time of looking into! We are now in California and this question has recently come up. I don't take just anyones word for a yes or no answer but was recently informed by someone very experienced in both law and adoption that you can not legally use an Independent Social Worker and she backed it up with what I believe to be very compelling evidence. Again, this applies only to California law and as always, any advice given on this blog or a chat site should be questioned and researched yourself. I will just share what I am learning along the way. So if you are in the state of California... if it were me I would play it safe and get an Adoption Agency to do my home study. Any other state... It's certainly worth researching to see if you can save money and effort by using an Independent Social Worker!

Here is the California Law information recently shared on a local chat site:

CALIFORNIA CODESFAMILY.CODESECTION 8900-89208900.
Intercountry adoption services described in this chaptershall be exclusively provided by private adoption agencies licensedby the department specifically to provide these services.8901. The department shall adopt regulations to administer theintercountry adoption program.8902. For intercountry adoptions that will be finalized in thisstate, the licensed adoption agency shall provide all of thefollowing services: (a) Assessment of the suitability of the applicant's home. (b) Placement of the foreign-born child in an approved home. (c) Postplacement supervision. (d) Submission to the court of a report on the intercountryadoptive placement with a recommendation regarding the granting ofthe petition. (e) Services to applicants seeking to adopt related childrenliving in foreign countries. The Legislature recognizes that thesechildren have an impelling need for adoptive placement with theirrelatives.
CALIFORNIA CODESFAMILY.CODE
8904. For an intercountry adoption that will be finalized in aforeign country, the licensed adoption agency shall provide all ofthe following services: (a) Assessment of the suitability of the applicant's home. (b) Certification to the Immigration and Naturalization Servicethat this state's intercountry adoption requirements have been met. (c) Readoption services as required by the Immigration andNaturalization Service.