Your Kansas Adoption Home Study, Minus the Mystery
The home study has a branding problem. The name suggests someone is coming to judge your house, which sends people into a panic about regrouting a bathroom nobody asked about.
That’s not what this is. The home study is about who you are as a family, not what your kitchen looks like. We do need to confirm your home is safe. We don’t need it to be picture perfect.
Here’s what actually happens, what it costs, and how long it takes.
What a Kansas Home Study Requires
A home study is a written assessment, completed by a licensed provider, that the court needs before it will grant your adoption. Required in every state. There’s no version of adoption that skips it, apart from narrow exceptions for stepparent adoptions and some adoptions by relatives.
If you live in Kansas, that assessment has to come from a provider licensed in Kansas. We are, license #36622-4.
We complete Kansas home studies for:
- Domestic infant adoption, whether through our program or another professional’s
- Private adoption, including when you’ve matched independently
- International adoption, including Hague-compliant assessments
- Embryo adoption
- Foster care adoption, including families adopting a waiting child from AdoptUSKids or Adopt KS Kids
The Process, in Order
- Apply.
- Paperwork, in a portal. Our virtual home study portal keeps everything in one place, which matters at 11 pm the night before something is due.
- Meet your home study case worker, who is an employee of our agency. Someone specific, licensed, who knows Kansas.
- Training. Required, and also genuinely useful.
- The home visit. Yes, we look at your home. No, we’re not scoring your decor.
- Your report. Written, reviewed, and delivered to the appropriate authorities.
- Post-supervision visits, once a month in your home until your adoption is final, which Kansas requires. They’re included in your home study fee.
Our portion of the home study process typically takes about 30-60 days.
What It Costs
Published on our site, itemized, with no line items that appear later.
If You Live Near the State Line
The Kansas City metro creates a specific headache: your home is in Kansas, your attorney is in Missouri, the expecting parent is somewhere else entirely, and every professional you talk to is licensed in exactly one of those places.
We’re licensed in both. That’s not a marketing line, it’s a logistics fact.
FAQ
Can I use a Kansas home study for a Missouri adoption?
Yes! Your home study has to come from a provider licensed in the state where you live, not the state where your child is born. We’re licensed in both states, so if you live on either side of the state line we can complete your home study without handing you off to anyone else. Kansas license #36622-4. Missouri license #001241132. One related limit worth knowing: a home study is approved for a specific type of adoption. A study prepared for foster care adoption can’t be used for a domestic infant adoption, and an international study is different again. Changing paths requires an update and re-approval, not a brand new study. If you already have a home study and you’re not sure whether it covers what you need, send it to us and we’ll tell you straight.
What disqualifies a family?
Less than you think, and almost nothing automatically. Here’s what doesn’t disqualify you. Being single. Renting rather than owning. A modest income. Being older. A disability or chronic health condition, on its own. Criminal history is the question people are most afraid to ask about, so let’s answer it plainly. Convictions for non-violent offenses, things like theft, fraud, drug activity, or a DUI, are a real concern and they do trigger a more thorough evaluation. They don’t automatically end the conversation. We look at how many, how long ago, and how serious. Violent offenses and offenses against children are a different matter. The most useful thing we can tell you is this: tell us before you apply. Nearly every situation that becomes a genuine problem became one because it surfaced late, not because of what it was. Our own requirements are short. You must be at least 25. If you’re married, one year of marriage at the time of application, and living together for a year before marrying counts toward that. There should be no more than 60 years between your child and the oldest adoptive parent. Courts have the final say on any adoption. But if you’re wondering whether something in your history rules you out, ask us. That question costs nothing.
What documents will I need?
Every family’s list looks a little different, but most include birth certificates, marriage or divorce records if they apply, medical reports for everyone in the household, proof of income, background check forms, and personal references. Our free home study checklist spells out everything, and your online portal walks you through it one item at a time.
How long is a Kansas home study valid?
Twelve months. After that it needs to be updated rather than rebuilt from scratch, which saves you both time and money. An update revisits what has changed since the original: income, household members, address, health, anything that has moved. It’s not a second home study and it’s not priced like one. You’ll also need an update if you switch to a different kind of adoption, say from foster care adoption to domestic infant adoption. Separately, you may need an addendum before the twelve months are up, which catches families off guard. A move to a new home, a marriage, or a change in your preferences and the kind of child you hope to adopt can each trigger one. Our fees for updates and addendums are published alongside everything else. Fee schedule
Last reviewed: October 2026
