Before a child can be placed in a home the prospective adoptive parent(s) must be investigated and pre-approved through a home study. In private adoption, this is usually done by the Probate Court in the county of residence of either the adoptive parents or the birth parent or by a licensed agency if this is an agency adoption. Some Probate Courts accept an agency home study.

A Preplacement Application will be completed with references that are unrelated and able to comment about your ability to be an adoptive parent. After the Preplacement document is completed, it is usually signed in the presence of a Notary.

Also letters of recommendation, preferably from individuals not listed on the Preplacement Application, should address:

• How long the references have known you
• Why you would make a good parent
• How you relate to children

The Probate Court/Agency requires you and any other adult household member have a physical exam within the last year. Please obtain a letter from your physician regarding your health or have the provided medical form completed.

Ohio law requires a criminal background check for every adult household member. All requests for Ohio civilian background checks be submitted electronically through use of WebCheck or other approved methods. There is a $22.00 charge per person for the search. The results take approximately thirty (30) days. There are more than 400 WebCheck locations now available to persons seeking background checks. These locations are listed by county on the Attorney General’s website at:

http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Services/Business/WebCheck/Webcheck-Community-Listing

You may go to the location nearest you to have your fingerprints scanned. Please then have them forward the results to our office as soon as possible.

Ohio Revised Code §2151.86 requires that anyone who has not lived within the State of Ohio for a consecutive five-year period must also have a nationwide background search through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Electronic FBI submissions can be processed more quickly. The locations mentioned in the website above will indicate whether they can perform an FBI webcheck at that location. There is a $24.00 charge per person for the FBI search.

Convictions for felonies, drug offenses, or sex related charges could preclude a parent from adopting, even if these convictions have been expunged. See Ohio Revised Code §2151.86. If you have been charged, convicted or expunged of any crime, you must disclose this information to our office.

After we receive all of the above documents, they are filed with the Probate Court. Shortly thereafter the Court case worker will call to arrange a home study investigation by a convenient personal visit to review your Preplacement Application, physical and mental health, emotional stability, employment history, and financial matters to determine if a proposed placement would be in a child’s best interest. This may be required even though you may have had a home study on file in another county Probate Court or done by an agency.

If all is well, the Court will approve you as prospective adoptive parent(s) usually within 15 or 30 days. Some Probate Courts will accept another Probate Court’s home study or an agency home study. The Home Study is valid for up to two years. However if you do not adopt within the first fourteen (14) months, it may need to be updated when you do go to adopt your child, with an additional filing fee at that time.