{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10-10-7505-5.3","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 10, § 10-7505-5.3","heading":"Contents of home study","body":"A. A home study satisfying Section 7505-5.1 or 7505-5.2 of this\n\ntitle must include at a minimum the following:\n\n1. An appropriate inquiry to determine whether the proposed\n\nhome is a suitable one for the minor; and any other circumstances\n\nand conditions which may have a bearing on the adoption and of which\n\nthe court should have knowledge; and in this entire matter of\n\ninvestigation, the court is specifically authorized to exercise\n\njudicial knowledge and discretion;\n\n2. Documentation of at least one individual interview with each\n\nparent, each school-age child and any other household member, one\n\njoint interview, a home visit, and three written references;\n\n3. Verification that the home is a healthy, safe environment in\n\nwhich to raise a minor, as well as verification of marital status,\n\nemployment, income, access to medical care, physical health and\n\nhistory; and\n\n4. A review of a criminal background check and a child abuse\n\nand neglect information system check.\n\na. A background check shall be required for adoptive\n\nparents and all other household members eighteen (18)\n\nyears of age and older, consisting of a review of a\n\nnational fingerprint-based criminal background check,\n\na search of the Department of Corrections’ files\n\nmaintained pursuant to the Sex Offenders Registration\n\nAct, and a search of the child abuse and neglect\n\ninformation system maintained for review by authorized\n\nentities by the Department of Human Services.\n\nb. A Department of Public Safety Motor Vehicle Report\n\nshall be required for adoptive parents and all other\n\nadult household members when the child to be adopted\n\nis in the legal custody of the Department of Human\n\nServices.\n\nc. For each adoptive parent or other household member\n\neighteen (18) years of age or older who has not\n\nmaintained continuous residency in the state for five\n\n(5) years prior to the home study or home study\n\nupdate, a child abuse registry check shall be required\n\nfrom every other state in which the prospective\n\nadoptive parent or other adult household member has\n\nresided during such five-year period.\n\nd. Each prospective adoptive parent or other household\n\nmember eighteen (18) years of age or older shall be\n\nrequired to cooperate with the requirements of the\n\nDepartment of Human Services and the Oklahoma State\n\nBureau of Investigation with regard to the criminal\n\nbackground check and child abuse check.\n\nB. A home study which is being updated or brought current in\n\naccordance with subsection A of Section 7505-5.1 of this title shall\n\ndocument appropriate inquiry into changes in the family situation\n\nsince the last home study, a home visit, at least one joint\n\ninterview, information on any children added to the family,\n\nexperiences, if any, of the adoptive parents as parents since the\n\nlast study, verification of current physical health, and three\n\ncurrent letters of reference.\n\nC. An updated home study as described in subsection B of this\n\nsection shall include a review of criminal background checks and\n\nchild abuse and neglect checks as described in subsection A of this\n\nsection. However, when a national fingerprint background check has\n\nbeen done within the five (5) years previous to the completion of\n\nthe updated home study and the results are available for review,\n\nthen a name-based search of the records of the Oklahoma State Bureau\n\nof Investigation on the adoptive parents and other household\n\nresidents eighteen (18) years of age or older for whom the\n\nfingerprint background check has been performed shall satisfy the\n\nrequirements for a criminal background check for purposes of a home\n\nstudy update.\n\nD. 1. A preplacement home study or update which is being used\n\nsolely for purposes of international adoption shall not require a\n\nnational fingerprint-based criminal background search in addition to\n\nthe one required by the United States Citizenship and Immigration\n\nServices.\nk has been performed shall satisfy the\n\nrequirements for a criminal background check for purposes of a home\n\nstudy update.\n\nD. 1. A preplacement home study or update which is being used\n\nsolely for purposes of international adoption shall not require a\n\nnational fingerprint-based criminal background search in addition to\n\nthe one required by the United States Citizenship and Immigration\n\nServices.\n\n2. Such an international home study shall contain a review of a\n\nstate criminal background check, a search of the Department of\n\nCorrections’ files maintained pursuant to the Sex Offenders\n\nRegistration Act, and a search of the child abuse and neglect\n\ninformation system maintained for review by authorized entities by\n\nthe Department of Human Services.\n\n3. An international home study or home study update as\n\ndescribed in this section must include a statement that the home\n\nstudy recommendation is for international adoption purposes only and\n\nmay not be used as the basis for a domestic adoption without the\n\naddition of a review of the results of a national fingerprint-based\n\ncriminal background search if such would be required by subparagraph\n\nc of paragraph 4 of subsection A of this section.\n\nE. The report of such home study or home study update shall\n\nbecome a part of the files in the case and shall contain a definite\n\nrecommendation for or against the proposed adoption and the reasons\n\ntherefor.\n\nF. Following issuance of an interlocutory decree of adoption,\n\nor if the interlocutory decree is waived, prior to issuance of a\n\nfinal decree, the investigator conducting the home study or another\n\ninvestigator who meets the qualifications specified in Section 7505-\n\n5.4 of this title, shall observe the minor in the proposed adoptive\n\nhome and report in writing to the court on any circumstances or\n\nconditions which may have a bearing on the granting of a final\n\nadoption decree. If the interlocutory decree was not waived, the\n\ninvestigator must certify that the final examination described in\n\nthis subsection has been made since the granting of the\n\ninterlocutory order. This supplemental report shall include a\n\ndetermination as to the legal availability or status of the minor\n\nfor adoption and shall be filed prior to the final decree of\n\nadoption.","path":["OK Code","Title 10"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os10.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"816f93137b66f38d845b78753cc2507500a09fae37898837cceeb287547efe1f","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10-10-7505-5.2","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10-10-7505-5.4"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}