what to expect from a social worker home visit

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What do social services look for in a home visit

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As a social worker, depending on the type of visit, I can end up looking for many things. But in this article, I want to share what social services commonly look for in a home visit, regardless of the type of visit we are on.

Having a messy home, with dishes everywhere, clothes piled, and trash all over the floor… This is often one of the first warning signs that not everything is right in this home.

Whilst we are all human, and therefore imperfect, having a terribly messy home is not exactly the best impression you can make to a social worker that everything is under control.

Recently bought items

Many clients come to me telling me of their financial difficulties. But recently, I saw a client with a new phone in his hand when I visited at his home. Another client had a brand new wardrobe. Was their financial difficulty that severe?

Whilst I am not in a place to judge their purchases or what they choose to buy, as a social worker, I tend to look for recently bought big-ticket items as an indication of the family’s financial capability.

As a social worker, I often like to check if the family has enough food. It is not only whether there is enough food, but whether there is nutritious food. I remembered a client who used to feed his two young children bread and jam everyday. I was concerned that those two young children were not necessarily getting the nutrients they needed. In addition, I’ve seen other clients who have filled their entire fridge with microwave meals and freezer with frozen meals. These meals might not necessarily be the most healthy option for the family.

To do so, I tend to ask the client to show me his food cupboard, or his fridge to see if he has sufficient food for the family. I also like to see if the family has a way of cooking their food, by observing their cookers or ovens. This way, I can ensure that the family does not only have food, but a way to prepare the food.

Shower/bath area

Going into a client’s toilet can often reveal a lot about the client. I used to have a client who would do everything in his toilet. He would do his laundry, washing, and store his bicycle! It helped me to see what was safe and unsafe for him. I also started to look at what changes we could make to help him live better.

When I go into a client’s toilet, I tend to note if the place is safe. Then, I observe if the client has the normal toiletries, such as toothbrushes, toilet paper, toothpaste, soap, and shampoo. A lack of these things might show that the client is struggling financially to afford such items. Or he might not be engaging in regular self-care for his own good.

Having the right furniture in a home is necessary for the family to thrive, and just survive. I once encountered a family who didn’t have a dining table to eat on. They would frequently eat out or on the floor. They also didn’t have a fridge to store items. This meant that they could not cook much. In addition, they did not have a water heater for hot showers in the morning. All of these meant that the children were not able to feel a sense of belonging to home, and would often much rather be out of the home.

One of my first priorities as a social worker was to ensure that they had the necessary household furniture to make home more like home. I wanted them to feel at home and not just housed.

This eventually helped in building a greater relationship between the parent and her children. It also reduced the problems the children gave to their parent.

This is a list of things that I, as a social worker, would tend to look out for in a home visit. If you have other things that might be helpful, please feel free to add them in the comments below!

Home visits are a crucial part of a social worker’s day. I hope this helps you to answer what social services look for in a home visit.

To find out how you might do better at other areas of your work, you can check:

How to write better casenotes

How to manage caseloads

How to focus

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I’ve been involved with Social Services, recently. They tell me that, surprise visits, aren’t done anymore. Question, how do you expect to get the complete story, if they know you’re going? Neglect, abuse and other actions, will change, because they know you’re going. Then back to ‘normal’, when you’ve left. My situation is regarding my granddaughter. Her mum makes sure everything, appears, as it should, but in reality, a lot of things, will not be seen. We know this, because our granddaughter tells us.

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What Does CPS Look for in a Home Visit? [Checklist]

By: Author Nicole Thelin

Posted on Published: May 14, 2020  - Last updated: February 1, 2022

If you’re dealing with CPS, you’ve probably wondered, “What does CPS look for in a home visit?” I have been visited by CPS a few times, and it’s always stressful… but I’ve done some research and figured out what CPS is actually looking for when they visit your home.

Before we begin, I need to remind you that I am not a lawyer or social worker. I am a journalist with extensive CPS experience. I have written and reported on this topic several times in the past. If you need advice about your specific situation, I’ve aggregated a list of free legal aid help here .

Need legal advice?

Low Income Relief is staffed by researchers, not lawyers. If you need legal advice, our friends at JustAnswer may be able to help! Contact them today.

Wait – do you know your rights?!

When CPS comes knocking, you have rights. Make sure you know what they are, because this is definitely one of those things that you need to know before CPS shows up at your house.

For example, if the caseworker does not have a warrant, you do not have to let them in. You can refuse entry. You can find more information about this in our other articles, “ What CPS Can and Cannot Do ” and “ What are my rights with Child Protective Services? “

What does CPS look for in a home visit?

To find an answer to this question, we turned to federal and state publications . There are many theories surrounding this topic, but we wanted to know actual, factual truth from the source.

So, according to a variety of state and federal laws, regulations and handbooks, here is the answer to “what does CPS look for in a home visit?”

Remember, the overall goal is to determine whether or not a child is safe at home. These things are just specific benchmarks that help them make that determination.

Cleanliness

Cleanliness was always my primary concern when CPS was called on me. However, I was repeatedly assured by caseworkers that I had nothing to worry about. They are more concerned with ensuring sanitary conditions than a sparkling clean living environment, so you can breathe easy. Life with kids is messy, and CPS knows that.

Hopefully, like me, you’ll be relieved to know that perfection is not the answer to “What does CPS look for in a home visit?”

CPS looks for human and animal feces in the home. Unfortunately, they sometimes find it.

Infestations

Insect and rodent infestations are generally considered an indicator of unsanitary living conditions. This isn’t always the case, of course, but it is something that CPS will look for in a home visit.

Rotten Food

Rotten food is something that CPS caseworkers are trained to look for during a home visit.

Piles of dirty laundry are not good. Laundry piles should be avoided altogether. If you must have piles of laundry, piles of clean laundry are far preferable.

One of the answers to “What does CPS look for in a home visit?” is actually what they smell. The smell of your home can tell someone a lot about how clean it is on a regular basis. Even if it looks clean, a lingering odor can betray past negligence.

Tidiness is important. If a house is tidy, it will usually be clear of tripping or choking hazards. It will also be free of clutter that could pose a danger if a fire or other emergency were to happen.

There should not be any trash in the house. Trash is a major red flag for CPS caseworkers.

CPS will look for running, clean water because this is considered a sanitary need. They will check for flushing toilets and other functional utilities.

Safety Hazards

There are many types of safety hazards that CPS looks for in a home visit. This is probably the most important answer to “What does CPS look for in a home visit?”

Burn Hazards

Do you know the temperature of your hot water? CPS may check the temperature to ensure that your children are not in danger of scalds or burns.

Choking Hazards

Small objects left in the reach of very young children can present a choking hazard. CPS will take note of any risks that are present in your home.

Drug Paraphernalia

Any drug paraphernalia is a red flag. Second-hand smoke in the home is also something that CPS will pay attention to, especially if the children have asthma or other lung problems.

Environmental Danger

Sometimes, older and cheaper homes can be quite dangerous. Exposed wiring, broken appliances , shattered glass and even dangerous neighborhoods can pose extra risks to children. Broken outlet covers could also be a problem.

Be mindful of anything that could pose a trip hazard, fall hazard, electrical hazard, or any sort of safety hazard. CPS will take note of all these things during a home visit.

The good news is that the agency may be able to provide help fixing many of these issues. They may be able to provide funding, negotiate with landlords or provide resources to help you remedy some of these problems.

Fire Hazards

Are any doors or windows permanently blocked or closed? If so, that may pose a danger in case of a fire or other emergency. This is something that will always get a caseworker’s attention.

They will also want to know if the smoke alarms work. After all, when it comes to “What does CPS look for in a home visit?”, safety is the ultimate answer.

Guns & Weapons

If guns and other weapons are accessible to children, that’s a major problem. Weapons should be stored in a locked cabinet, out of reach and inaccessible to children. Firearms should not be loaded and ammunition should be stored in a separate location.

Chemicals & Cleaning Products

Many household cleaners, medications and home improvement products can be poisonous. They need to be stored safely out of reach of children. It is recommended to keep medications (including over-the-counter medications) in a locking cabinet.

Other safety hazards

Other general safety hazards will be searched for as well. These may include things like stairs without gates, lack of safety restraints in your vehicles, etc.

Many families are surprised to learn that when it comes to “What does CPS look for in a home visit?” the answer is always “sleeping arrangements.” Even if your complaint has nothing to do with a child’s sleeping arrangement, this issue will most likely be addressed by your caseworker.

Children under the age of 18 months should sleep in a crib, free of blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, bumper pads and other materials.

Any bunk beds must have railings on both sides of the upper tier to prevent falls. Children who are sleeping in the top bunk should be old enough and mature enough to do so safely. Generally, no child under the age of six years old should sleep in a top bunk.

Co-Ed Roommates

CPS generally does not approve of boys and girls sharing a bedroom after the age of five years old. If there is any way to avoid that, it should be avoided.

Does the child have adequate clothing ? Is their clothing clean?

Personal Possessions

As they check the child’s room, they’ll see the child’s sleeping arrangements, bedding, toys, and other possessions. These are all considered indicators of whether or not a child is well cared for.

The child must have a safe place to sleep. Generally, alternatives like closets and hallways are not considered safe bedrooms because each bedroom should have a window that can open in case of an emergency.

The kitchen plays an important role in every family’s life. It shouldn’t be a surprise that CPS takes a special interest in this space.

CPS will want to see that you have food in the house, and that the food is available to your children. The refrigerator should be clean and well-stocked. The pantry and/or cupboards should have food. There should not be a lock on the kitchen door, fridge or cupboards that would prevent the child from accessing food if the child is hungry.

They will want to make sure that there is no rotting food in the kitchen.

They will also want to make sure that there are no unsecured knives or other dangerous objects within reach of the children.

If you’re worried about “what does CPS look for in a home visit?” and you have pets, then you have a few extra things to consider.

Litter boxes, shedding fur and other pet-related messes will be a cause for concern with the caseworker. If your pet is indoors, make sure that the pet’s messes are taken care of.

Fleas/Ticks

CPS will want to know if your pets are well cared for. If you allow your pets to have an infestation untreated, it will reflect poorly on your caregiving.

There are some dangers that can exist outside your home, also. If you are renting an apartment, these aren’t necessarily things you need to worry about. If you’re in a home, however, we need to add these things to the list of “What does CPS look for in a home visit?”

Road Safety

If the home is located near a busy road, the yard should be adequately fenced to keep small children safe from getting into the road.

Water Features

If a pool or water feature is present, it should be fenced or gated so that younger children cannot fall in.

Don’t make these 5 mistakes with CPS!

Nicole thelin.

Nicole is the founder and lead researcher of Low Income Relief. After a personal experience with poverty and homelessness following her husband's sudden medical discharge from the U.S. Army, Nicole discovered the life-changing impact of community resources. This experience ignited her passion for empowering others to navigate similar crises. Nicole launched her writing career at age 16, working for various newspapers and publications. Her commitment to in-depth research and accessible content has been recognized by Google for Publishers and other industry leaders. For over 20 years, she has applied her investigative skills to uncover the most helpful, up-to-date information on benefits programs and community resources, ensuring Low Income Relief maintains the most extensive resource databases available.

How to undertake and record a home visit in social work

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Home » Child Protection Home Visit: Practical Guidance

Child Protection Home Visit: Practical Guidance

(You can download the guidance below in a PDF document here . )

WHEN THERE IS NO ANSWER WHEN YOU KNOCK:

• If the family does not answer the door when you knock, listen to/observe any signs of people being present in the house. If you believe that somebody is in the property and it is safe to do so (beware of dogs), consider whether it is appropriate to shout through the letterbox that you are aware that the family is in the house and are waiting for them to answer the door.
• When possible, have a look in the garden to ensure that the family is not there. If possible, also knock on the back door.
• Call the family on their mobile phone to ask where they are, and to see if you can hear the phone ringing inside the house.
• If nobody answers the door, post a note with details of your next visit.
• If the purpose of your visit is to check whether there has been a breach of an agreement that a specific person does not visit the family home, it is advisable to take a second worker who can observe whether the person leaves the house from a back door whilst you are knocking at the front.

WHEN IN THE FAMILY HOME:

Record details of all people present.

Record details of all people present; this includes people who live in the house as well as any visitors who are there at the time of your visit – ask the visitors for their name and relationship to the family. If the child subject to a Child Protection Plan has regular contact with them, ask for their address and DOB so that you can record them on the system. If the adult visitor regularly cares for the child or stays in the child’s family home overnight, ask for their consent for you to complete a police check on them.

If any unknown person refuses to give you their details, request the details from the parents. If not established, record the description of this person.

Establish the whereabouts of the children subject to a Child Protection Plan who are not at home

If the child who you have come to see is not at home, ask about their exact whereabouts and who they are with. If there are concerns about their level of supervision or you have any concerns that the child might be at risk, ask for evidence of their whereabouts – for example, if the child is said to be with another adult, can you call the other adult and ask to speak to the child on the phone; can the adult who is present take you to see the child; can you call the child on their mobile phone and meet them where they are?

If you do not manage to see the child at home during your visit, arrange to see the child at home within statutory timescales on a different occasion. If you are, however, concerned about the child’s safety or well-being on that day, ensure that you make contact with the child on the same day of your visit – this (depending on the level of your concerns) may be a telephone/WhatsApp video call, pre-arranged later home visit or (when appropriate) arrange a visit by the “Out of Hours” team.

Observe the child/young person

• What’s the child’s physical presentation (appropriateness of clothes, level of hygiene, signs of injury; do they present healthy or ill)?
• What’s the child’s emotional presentation and behaviour?
• What is the child doing during the whole duration of the visit?
• How does the child respond to their family members and other people in the house?

Depending on the nature of the case and concerns, you may need to dedicate some of your visits to conduct more comprehensive observations so you can assess factors such as the child’s attachment to their main carer, the child’s level of development, the family’s functioning, the child’s daily routine etc.

You may find the following tools useful:

• Ages & Stages Questionnaire is a child development screening tool for children aged 2 months to 5 It is widely used by health visitors when assessing children’s development, however, it makes a useful tool to support other practitioner’s observation of non-verbal and pre-school children as well. Print the relevant questionnaire depending on the child’s age and take it with you to the family – observe the child together with their parent(s) and fill it in together. Older siblings often enjoy helping fill in the questionnaire in relation to their younger children too.
• There is also Ages and Stages Social-Emotional Development Screening Tool which looks at how children are doing in areas, such as self-regulation, communication, autonomy, compliance, adaptive functioning, affect, and interaction with people.
• Observations Checklist: Assessing Attachment and Bonding . The checklist outlines what behaviours in children from birth to adolescents and parents/carers an observer should look for when assessing a child’s attachment style.
• Joanna Nicolas in her book ‘Conducting the home visit in child protection’ (and her newer version) recommends that the assessors consider the following:

Talk to the child/young person alone

With pre-school children (3 & 4 years), you may first try to establish trust by playing with them in presence of their main carer, then you can ask them to show you their bedroom by themselves. There, if they feel comfortable with you, you can conduct direct work with them, adjusting it to their chronological and mental age. If the child does not feel safe to see you without their parent/carer, you should still conduct direct work in their parent’s presence.

Examples of direct work:

• When in their bedroom, ask the child to show you things in their bedroom – their bed, toys, posters etc. – try to ascertain their likes and dislikes, what they do during the day etc.
• Bring some toys which can facilitate a conversation about what their daily experience is like, for example dolls or puppets, doll house, crafts etc.
• Give the child a sheet with pictures depicting a typical daily routine and ask them to point to those they do every day – depending on their level of understanding/speech, you can then ask more questions about the pictures they point to.

With older children, conduct direct work aimed at establishing what their day-to-day life looks like as well as at ascertaining their views, wishes and feelings

(see www.socialworkerstoolbox.com/category/wishes-feelings-2/ for examples of tools you can use). In addition, focus your direct work on the area of risk/need you have identified.

I n most cases, it is important that you also complete direct work with the child/young person outside the family, e.g. in their school.

See sleeping children

You should see any sleeping child subject to a Child Protection Plan. Only wake a baby in extreme circumstances such as when it is your job to weigh the baby or examine the baby as part of the child protection work. Depending on the level and nature of concerns, schedule another home visit soon to ensure that you see the child awake as well.

Ask if you can hold a baby

Having made eye contact with and cooed at the baby, ask the primary carer if you can hold her/him. Observe how responsive the baby is, whether the baby looks for his/her primary carer for reassurance, whether the primary carer hands the baby over without a care etc. Look out for any physical injuries, eg. observe whether the baby has a limb that hangs awkwardly or whether the baby cries out when you move him/her.

Observe adults & children not subject to a Child Protection Plan

• What is their physical and emotional presentation?
• What are they doing during your visit?
• What is their interaction with the child subject to a CP plan; do they respond to him/her?
• How do they respond to you and other people in the house?
• Are they co-operative, difficult or hostile?
• Pay attention to any areas which have been identified as issues such as evidence of alcohol or drug use, mental health difficulties, domestic abuse etc.
• What is the atmosphere in the house (eg. chaotic, calm and positive)?
• Observe how the animals in the home look and act (there are strong links between the abuse of animals and the abuse of children and women).

Address any identified safeguarding concerns & Child protection planning

Prior to your visit, you should have considered what the purpose of the visit is in terms of making progress in accordance with the Child Protection Plan. Discuss the progress with the parents (and when relevant, the child) accordingly, highlighting both strengths as well as remaining outstanding needs/risks; agree next steps.

If you identify any new safeguarding concerns during your visit, be honest and inform the parents (and when relevant, the child) about them and agree a plan on how the parents/family can address them (this may be agreeing a specific task such as tiding up the kitchen by your next visit or, when more complex, arranging another appointment specifically dedicated to discussing the newly identified concerns).

If you have any immediate and significant safeguarding concerns (such as children presenting with a potential non-accidental injury) and you need to leave the child in the presence of a potentially unsafe adult (eg. when you need to call your manager from your car or speak to each adult in the house separately), arrange for a second worker to come to the house. The second worker can stay with the child and ensure their safety while you are dealing with the issue.

Look around the house & assess home conditions

• See all the rooms in the house.
• Depending on the level and nature of concerns (such as missing children, a suspected person posing a risk in the family home), you may also need to look at places such as basement, garden shed, wardrobes and under beds.
• What are the home conditions like? Ask for consent to take photos to record your concerns/any progress made.
• Look for anything unusual in the physical appearance of the home (such as punch holes in walls which may indicate violence in the house; locks on doors).
• Is there evidence of food in the fridge and cupboards, clean bedding, stock of clean and appropriate children’s clothes, toiletries and toothbrushes, toys etc?
• Depending on the nature of concerns, you will need to investigate the home further– for example, in alcohol abuse cases, additional investigations of alcohol stocks, bins and cupboards will be useful.
• Assess sleeping arrangements for the child.
• If home conditions are a concern, schedule another home visit to conduct a more comprehensive assessment – you may find the Home conditions observation record/framework or the Risk assessment

Child answering the door/at home without a safe supervisor

There is no legal age that a child can be left alone – it depends on the child and the circumstances. You need to make a judgement whether it is safe for the child to be left alone or be cared for by their older sibling; you need to call your manager for advice if you are unsure.

If you assess the child being at home by themselves as low risk, rearrange the appointment.

If the child is left at home without an appropriate supervisor and you assessed the child as being at risk of significant harm, you can either wait for a short period of time until their parent arrives (if safe) or call the police (if the child is in immediate danger or there is no indication what time their parent will be back home/the parent has not arrived despite you waiting).

If the child answers the door, stating the parent is in the house, ask them to go and get them while you wait on the doorstep. If they say they cannot get their parent because they are, for example, sleeping and and you have concerns about the child’s well-being or safety, you need to ensure that both parent and child are OK. If you have no concerns for your personal safety, go into the home with the child, calling the parent loudly; if they are in a bedroom, knock on the door loudly, calling their name until they wake up. If you have concerns for your personal safety, ring the police and stay there with the child until the police arrive.

Ask for evidence

During the visit, do not rely on self-reported accounts by the family members – ask for evidence. For example, when a pregnant woman tells you that she had made all the practical preparations for the child, ask to see them.

Remember that some parents/carers are known to have gone to great lengths to disguise their neglect and abuse of children. For example, Baby P’s (Peter Connelly) bruises were reported to be purposefully covered in chocolate by his parent/carer to avoid detection. Some parents, especially those misusing substances, are known to give their children illicit or prescribed drugs to keep their children quiet so that they are easier to look after. Co-sleeping practice, which is linked to a higher risk of death, is not uncommon.

Read up on serious case reviews to familiarise yourself with further examples and adjust your investigations and interventions accordingly – you need to be thorough to keep children safe by, for example, asking the adults to wash any stains from their child’s skin, ensuring that you see the child regularly awake, looking for signs of the children’s cots being actually used etc.

FURTHER GOOD PRACTICE ADVICE:

• Read the file before your first speak to other agencies and previous workers.
• Do an assessment of risk in relation to yourself.
• Inform your team where you are going and what time you will be back.
• Conduct both announced and unannounced home visits.
• If you are doing a joint visit, plan with your co-visitor before you go on who will do each task and/or take the lead.
• Before your visit, plan the purpose of your visit.
• Find out if there are any racial/ethnicity/cultural issues and plan your visit accordingly. Book a face-to-face interpreter when required. Save details for a telephone interpreting service to your phone and find out how to use it in advance.
• Be aware of any disabilities or additional needs of the child or family members, and make necessary accommodations, such as using visual aids or providing sign language interpreters.
• Do not discuss any confidential information in front of any visitors in the family home – ask to speak to parents and children alone.
• Be aware of your own biases and attitudes, and strive to remain objective and non-judgmental in your interactions with the family.
• Take notes during the visit, including any observations, concerns, or agreements made with the family, and record them in accordance with your agency’s policy.

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD OF CHILD PROTECTION HOME VISIT: PRACTICAL GUIDANCE

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Tips for Making Home Visits in Child Welfare

By: Natalie D. Pope, PhD, LCSW, and Jennifer B. Hadden, MSW

When first starting out, making a home visit to see a client can be an intimidating and even frightening experience for social workers. Yet, in many areas of practice, the majority of client contact is “in the field,” which typically means seeing a client someplace other than your office. Certainly for social workers practicing in the field of public child welfare (e.g., child protective services, family preservation, foster care, adoption), visiting clients in their home is the norm, rather than the exception. 

    Many benefits exist to seeing clients in their homes, particularly when working in child welfare. First, as social workers, we give special attention to our clients’ environment and how this affects their functioning and well-being. Observing clients’ living situations (conditions of the home, safety concerns, status of neighborhood and community, and so forth) can provide valuable and relevant information for assessment and case planning. Second, working with clients in their homes enables the social worker to “meet the clients where they are” and to potentially reduce the power differential inherent in work with mandated clients. Third, interventions delivered in the home, rather than in an office, might be easier for clients to implement, since the home is where problems often occur. Finally, service barriers such as limited transportation and scheduling conflicts can be avoided with home-based services (Collins, Jordan, & Coleman, 2010).         

     Despite the benefits of seeing clients in their homes, there are some inherent challenges and things to keep in mind when interviewing parents and children in their home.

Building Rapport to Get in the Door

    Upon first contact with a client, social workers are often met with some barriers. The worker’s ability to gain entry into the home is often indicative of resistance to or compliance with intervention. Here are some suggestions for a first meeting in a client’s home:

1. Knock with authority, but not in a threatening way. It should be audible, but not deafening. Sometimes you must knock a few times before the client will answer. Try to refrain from “peeking” in windows, unless you are concerned for the potential safety of children in the home after repeatedly unanswered knocks.

2. Introduce yourself using your first and last name, and agency representation. You may need to repeat your first name a few times to allow the client to identify you not only as an agency representative, but also a person. When possible, smile. You might say something like, “Our agency received a call from someone concerned about your children. I would like to discuss that concern with you.”

3. Prior to asking to be invited into a client’s home, it is sometimes necessary to allow the client to process the idea of agency intervention. You may have to ask more than once.

4. Once in the home, ask the client’s permission to be seated and follow his or her instruction on where to sit. You may ask to move at some point during the visit, once rapport has been established.

5. Observe obvious rules in the home (shoes by the door or feet off the furniture, for example). You might explain to clients that you are a guest and ask them to advise you if you are breaking any of the house rules.

Physical Conditions

    When interviewing a client in an office setting, the social worker has some control over the environment. This is not the case when seeing clients at home. Ideal physical conditions for an interview include comfortable seating and room temperature, freedom from distraction, ample space to move around, and a sanitary location (Hepworth, Rooney, Rooney, Strom-Gottfried, & Larsen, 2010).  Some tips for making your surroundings as conducive as possible include:

1. If you have a great deal of paperwork to process with the client, it may be beneficial to be seated at a dining table during a portion of your visit.

2. Politely ask the client to turn off the television or radio so both of you can concentrate on the interview.

3. When visiting a home with young children, take a bag with coloring books and crayons, puzzles, and small toys. These items can be purchased cheaply but are invaluable to keeping young children occupied. You might even consider carrying animal crackers and juice boxes to help pacify cranky kids.

Ethical Considerations

    Several ethical quandaries can occur when your primary contact with clients happens outside an office, especially issues related to blurred boundaries, accepting gifts, and confidentiality.

1. Blurred boundaries: There is a certain level of intimacy present when interviewing a client in his or her home rather than in an office. For instance, you might drop by during dinner time or be present during a heated argument between a teenage daughter and her father. It can be tempting to loosen the professional boundaries in what is often an unstructured work environment. It is the social worker’s responsibility to stay focused on issues directly related to child well-being and ensure the home visits are professional, rather than social (Collins, Jordan, & Coleman, 2010; Snyder & McCollum, 1999).

2. Accepting gifts: Clients might also offer you food and drink when visiting their homes. According to Frederic Reamer (2003), an expert on social work ethics, “boundary crossings are not inherently unethical” but are only “harmful when the dual relationship has negative consequences for the social worker’s client” (p. 121). As always, social workers should use professional discretion and appropriate supervision when faced with boundary issues. You must also be sensitive to cultural norms and client motivation when faced with accepting gifts such as food and drink in a client’s home, or small tokens of appreciation from clients.  

3. Confidentiality: Most agencies require their employees to be issued an identification badge. For safety reasons, badges help to distinguish employees from clients in the building, as well as identify social workers to their clients. It is important to be aware, however, that a badge might threaten client confidentiality if it draws attention to you and alerts neighbors and community members that you are from a social service agency. A second possible breech of confidentiality “can occur when the client’s extended family members, neighbors, and friends are present during home visits or when visits take place in community settings such as a park or fast-food restaurant” (Allen & Tracy, 2008, p.136). You might want to take the client’s lead to see if he or she introduces you to the family or ask your client’s permission before telling the friend or family member how you know them.

Safety Concerns

    Make sure someone else knows the specific address where you are going. We suggest posting a whiteboard in your office with a list of places you will be visiting each day. Your agency may require that you utilize a digital sign in/out method. Since other clients will likely be in the building, you should record the neighborhood or street where you will be, rather than writing down the client name on a whiteboard. Sometimes, upon your first visit, it is advisable to drive by the actual address to assess the surroundings, thus helping you choose the safest and most accessible place to park a vehicle. Additionally, this “drive by” will provide an opportunity to determine if there are hazards such as unrestrained animals, blocked entrances (and exits), and loiterers.

    When possible, review agency and criminal history of your client prior to your visit. When in question, consult with your supervisor regarding the accompaniment of law enforcement on your visit.

    Always be aware of potential entrances and exits to the home. It is appropriate to ask the client the names of those who enter the home during your visit. Maintain a working cell phone or radio in your pocket or within your reach, and always be prepared to remove yourself from emotionally charged situations as needed. When possible, sit in a location where you can observe the door. It is also appropriate to ask the client to restrain pets during your visit.

Organization and Time Management

    Child welfare social workers usually spend a lot of time in their cars, traveling from one client’s house to another, to one of the local elementary schools, to juvenile court, and maybe back to the office before seeing another client on the way home from work. There are several things we suggest, to be as efficient as possible with your time:

1. Arrange your schedule so that you are able to visit with clients who live near each other or on the same side of town. Take into consideration factors such as school release times and work schedules of your clients. If it does not compromise safety of the family members, leave your business card and contact information when you have visited a home with no one there.

2. Carry a folder or binder organized with the forms you are likely to need in the field. Working with families experiencing abuse or neglect, we often utilize referrals to the local food bank, Medicaid, and financial assistance applications, releases of information for communication with other providers, safety plans, and a list of community resources.

3. Ensure that you have a number for the local law enforcement dispatcher readily available on your phone.

4. Sometimes it is helpful to contact the client prior to your visit to ensure contact. When this is not possible, it is advisable to attempt your visit at different times during the day.

5. When possible, take anecdotal notes during the visit to enable you to later record items pertinent to your visit. It can be beneficial to tell the client that you’d like to write a few things down to ensure that you are able to reflect upon them later.  

Terminating the Visit

    Prior to dismissing yourself from the visit, be sure to summarize the content of the information that you have shared with and gathered from your client. Identify any “to do” items that will be completed by you and the client. Provide the client an opportunity to discuss anything further that he or she feels is important. When possible, advise clients of what your next steps will be. Make sure clients have your contact information for follow-up, as they most likely will have questions after you have left their home.

    Social workers practicing in public child welfare have to get used to an often unstructured work setting, seeing clients in their homes and communities. Yet by attending to the unique challenges inherent in making home visits, social workers can be effective in providing hands-on and immediate assistance to vulnerable children and their families.

Allen, S.F., & Tracy, E.M. (2008). Developing student knowledge and skills for home-based social work practice. Journal of Social Work Education, 44 (1), 125-143.

Collins, D., Jordan, C., & Coleman, H. (2010). An introduction to family social work (3rd ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing.

Hepworth, D., Rooney, R., Rooney, G. D., Strom-Gottfried, K., & Larsen, J. (2010). Direct social work practice: Theory and skills (8th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing.

Reamer, F. G. (2003). Boundary issues in social work: Managing dual relationships. Social Work, 48 (1), 121-133.

Snyder, W., & McCollum, E. (1999). Their home is their castle: Learning to do in-home family therapy. Family Processes, 38( 2), 229-244.

Natalie D. Pope, Ph.D., LCSW, is an assistant professor in the social work department at Ohio University in Athens, OH.  Jennifer B. Hadden, MSW, is a Ph.D. student at the University of Georgia with more than 15 years of child welfare experience.

All material published on this website Copyright 1994-2023 White Hat Communications. All rights reserved. Please contact the publisher for permission to reproduce or reprint any materials on this site. Opinions expressed on this site are the opinions of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Social Worker Home Visit Checklist

Make visits to your client’s home less daunting and more doable with our easy-to-use and well-designed social worker home visit checklist.

By Jamie Frew on Mar 06, 2024.

Fact Checked by Ericka Pingol.

What is a Social Worker Home Visit Checklist?

Social workers may be required to conduct home visits with their clients to ensure their safety or welfare. These checks might be for children in foster care, children needing ongoing checks to ensure their safety, elderly clients living in the community, disabled clients, clients reintegrating with society following incarceration or addiction treatment, or any other clients whose social worker needs to make sure their living conditions and welfare are being addressed.

Some social workers may regularly undertake home visits for their clients, whereas some may find the very idea completely daunting. There can be a lot of things to assess during the home visit, such as the living conditions or any hazards present that could cause your client harm, and ensuring you’re doing your best for your client can add a lot of pressure to not miss a thing.

That’s where our social worker home visit checklist comes in. We’ve split your client’s home into areas so you can systematically work through your checks and ensure the welfare and safety of your client.

Free Social Worker Home Visit Checklists

Check out these note templates for social workers to improve clinical documentation, workflow, and treatment outcomes.

How To Use This Template For Social Worker Home Visit Checklist

To ensure you’re confident incorporating this checklist into your home visits, we’ve created a simple step-by-step guide you can use to familiarize yourself with this home visit checklist . Just follow these simple steps and you’ll be a pro in no time.

Download the PDF

The first step is to get your hands on the checklist template. You can download this template for free from the link on this page, or if you are already a Carepatron user- access this template and many others from our community template library. Once you have the template open, you can either print it out and fill it in by hand, or if you have the means to bring a device to your home visit- keep it digital and fill it in using the interactive PDF checkboxes. This is a good idea for keeping your checklist tidy, easily fixing any mistakes, and improving the security of your document.

Fill in your client’s details

This is an important step for ensuring your note is attached to the correct client record. This step can be done prior to conducting the home visit to maximize your time on site, or if you are unsure of your client's details- fill it in upon arrival at your client’s home. Either way, ensure you get these important details down or your hard work could be lost!

Complete each section of the checklist

As you walk around your client's home, take each room in turn and complete the relevant section of the checklist. You can take these sections in any order, and not necessarily in the order, they are given in the checklist. As long as you are thorough and inspect every room- you’ll be able to check off everything you need to.

Add any additional notes

We know that a home visit can’t be entirely captured using only a checklist, so we have left space for additional notes. These might be records of the family members and their details, any changes to the residents at the property, an explanation of any 0 or 1 scores given, any additional concerns, and a plan for the next steps for your client. 

Sign and date the note, and store it securely

The last step is to add your name, signature, and date in the spaces provided at the bottom of the checklist. It’s important that you keep this checklist in a secure location, whether physical or digital, as it contains sensitive and private information about your clients.

Social Worker Home Visit Checklist Example (Sample)

Still unsure about the different parts of this template? We’ve got you covered. Take a look at our example social worker home visit checklist, and you’ll be able to get an idea of what the finished version of this checklist looks like. Please note, yours may look very different depending on your client and the social worker completing it, but we still think it can be useful to see an example.

Download this Social Worker Home Visit Checklist Example here:

Who Can Use this Printable Social Worker Home Visit Checklist (PDF)?

This home visit checklist is designed for use by all kinds of social workers who conduct home visits as part of their work. We have kept the questions non-specific to any particular specialty, but we think this template would best suit social workers who work with:

• Children or Child Protective Services (CPS)
• The elderly
• Clients recovering from substance abuse or addiction

Additionally, trainee social workers, or students observing home visits with a licensed social worker, can benefit from using this template to practice completing their own home inspections.

Why is This Form Useful For Social Workers?

This form is designed to make home visits easier and keep you organized while you conduct your inspection. Our social worker home visit checklist has a bunch of useful features for social workers, such as:

Split into different rooms

We have separated the checklist into rooms so you can work your way through the house methodically. It can be overwhelming having a long list of checks to do, but one of the best ways of handling big tasks is by splitting them into manageable chunks- which is what we have done here. Don’t worry if your client’s house doesn’t exactly fit these rooms, e.g. they have no outdoor area, or they have multiple living areas. Just use the same section to cover multiple rooms, or cross out questions that aren’t relevant to your client’s home- e.g. if there are no animals or elderly people in the household.

Space for notes

Another useful feature is the space for notes at the end of the checklist. We know you can’t sum everything up into a single number, so we have left space for you to add your professional insights, opinions, and conclusions. Feel free to use this space for the next steps for your clients, your assessment of the outcome of the home visit, or elaborating on any 0 or 1 scores given. This allows you to capture the nuances that are often present following a home visit.

Why Use Carepatron For Social Worker Home Visits?

The information contained in your home visit checklist is highly sensitive and confidential to your client, and therefore it’s of paramount importance that you store this important record securely- and that’s what we do best. Our EHR system is HIPAA-compliant and deploys multiple levels of AES-256 encryption so you can rest assured your confidential social work documents are secure.

As well as keeping your information secure, Carepatron makes it easy to access these records whenever and wherever you need via our mobile or desktop software platforms. Give your social work clients access to their records through their own Carepatron client portal and help to empower them to participate in their care. 

Finally, Carepatron comes with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a state-of-the-art software platform, such as AI-powered dictation software, integrated calendar capability, medical coding, tagging systems, billing and appointment management, and a community library of templates just like this one to help you get ahead and save time. With 24/7 support and over 10,000 medical practitioners who have chosen Carepatron, there’s no reason not to try Carepatron today and see how it can take your social work practice to the next level.

Commonly asked questions

It’s important to be prepared before your home visit, and you can do this by reading over your client’s case notes to refresh your memory of their history, and writing down any particular concerns you want to cover during the visit. Additionally, looking after your own safety is very important, so ensuring someone at your practice knows where you are going and when you expect to be back is a great idea, and you may have extra steps in place at your practice like organizing a partner to come with you, scheduling check-in phone calls, or asking your clients to secure any dogs prior to your visit.

This checklist is designed to be a tool to help you cover everything you need to during your home visit. There can be a lot of things you are expected to check, and so having a written list is a great help to ensure you cover everything you need to.

This will depend on your client and their history with you, but it’s a good idea to ensure the questions you ask are non-judgmental to help your clients feel comfortable enough with you to answer honestly. After all, you both want the same thing- to do the best for your client. Some questions you might ask are: “have there been any changes to the family members living here since we last spoke?” or  “what is your escape route in the event of a fire?”. The questions you ask should be guided by any areas of concern you identify during your visit, and the answers can be noted in the Notes section at the end of the template.

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What Makes Home Visiting So Effective?

By engaging in a warm, accepting relationship with parents, you support a strong and secure relationship between the parent and child. You help parents become more sensitive and responsive to their child. The secure relationship between young children and their families creates the foundation for the development of a healthy brain. The home environment allows you to support the family in creating rich learning opportunities that build on the family's everyday routines. You support the family's efforts to provide a safe and healthy environment. You customize each visit, providing culturally and linguistically responsive services.

The home visiting model allows you to provide services to families with at least one parent at home with the child or children. Families may choose this option because they want both support for their parenting and for their child's learning and development in their home. For example, you are available to families who live in rural communities and who otherwise would not be able to receive needed services. You bring services to families whose life circumstances might prevent them from participating in more structured settings or families challenged by transportation. Some programs are able to be flexible and offer services during non-traditional hours to families who work or go to school.

Every parent and home visitor brings his or her own beliefs, values, and assumptions about child-rearing to their interactions with children. Home visiting can provide opportunities to integrate those beliefs and values into the work the home visitor and family do together.

In addition to your own relationship with the family during weekly home visits, you bring families together twice a month. These socializations reduce isolation and allow for shared experiences, as well as connect them to other staff in the program.

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National Centers: Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning

Last Updated: December 3, 2019

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Lumiform / Checklists / Using a CPS home visit checklist to prepare for visits

Using a CPS home visit checklist to prepare for visits

What is a CPS home visit checklist?

A CPS home visit checklist helps ensure that you address everything Child Protective Services (CPS) considers important to children’s safety. CPS is a division of the Department of Social Services that responds to allegations of child abuse, neglect, or similar.

The first thing a CPS home visit checklist checks for is signs of abuse or neglect. Protecting the child is their top priority, so they’ll remove any threat to the child’s safety, including the abuser. Removing a child from their home is a last resort.

Table of contents

1. cleanliness, 3. safety hazards, 4. sleeping arrangements, 5. firearms, 6. alcohol & drugs, 7. backyard, face-to-face interviews, inspecting the home, reviewing relevant documents, using workflow automation software to write cps home visit checklists.

What should CPS inspectors look for during home inspections?

CPS inspectors are responsible for many areas during their home visits. The most important things to assess range from living conditions to parental relationships to other social dynamics in the home. Because these inspections cover so much ground, inspectors generally have a CPS inspection checklist to work through through during visits.

CPS inspects sanitation in the house to ensure that it’s clean and fit for a child. One common issue is the presence of animal, human, and rodent feces in the house.

Inspectors also check the surroundings for insect and rodent infestations. So a CPS home visit checklist must include getting rid of cockroaches, rats, and other pests.

Another thing to watch for is unpleasant odors. A social worker will notice these immediately. The house or apartment should not smell of cigarette smoke, molds, or a gas leak. There should not be any trash or piles of dirty laundry laying around the house.

Social workers should make sure there’s no moldy, rotten, or spoiled food in the kitchen. Ideally, the pantry should have healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables.

Dangerous kitchen items such as knives, razor blades, and matches should be kept in a safe place out of children’s reach.

It wouldn’t be good if the CPS investigators find anything that could cause choking, poisoning, strangulation, or suffocation. That’s why a social worker home inspection checklist needs to include a thorough hazard inspection of the entire house.

Apart from that, the house must be free of fall, slip, and trip hazards. Parents should get rid of clutter and make sure there are no loose rugs, slippery surfaces, and loose cables. Broken appliances need to be repaired or discarded. Exposed wiring and electrical parts must be addressed.

You should also include chemicals and electrical equipment in your CPS home visit checklist. Flammable items, household cleaners, and chemicals should be stored far from open flame and out of reach. In addition, smoke detectors should be installed in all rooms except the kitchen and bathroom.

Children younger than 18 months need their own crib, which can’t be filled with blankets, pillows, and stuffed toys. If children are old enough to sleep in bunk beds, they should have railings on both sides to prevent falls.

If they are younger than six years old, the children must not sleep in a top bunk. Opposite-sex children over the age of six should sleep in separate bedrooms.

Guns or weapons must be unloaded and locked in a cabinet where children can’t find them. Ammunition must be stored separately from weapons.

If CPS finds illicit drugs or substances in the house, this is a clear indicator of neglect. Medications, whether prescription or over-the-counter, must be locked in a cabinet out of children’s reach. The same is true of alcohol.

If there’s a swimming pool, it must have fencing that prevents kids from drowning. The property must also have a fence if the house is located near a road, so children don’t wander into the street.

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The different steps of a CPS inspection

Abuse or neglect complaints may include mental and physical injury, sexual abuse and exploitation, maltreatment, or negligence. Child abuse is not always obvious. Abusers often do it behind closed doors.

CPS has 30 days to perform an investigation, unless there’s a good reason for an extension. The investigation starts within 24 hours of a report, and usually includes:

A CPS investigator speaks with the child, parents or caregivers, and/or the alleged abuser. They could also interview relatives, friends, neighbours, or professionals who’ve interacted with the family.

Most importantly, CPS will ask children questions designed to find out if they have been abused or told not to speak out. The process can take days or weeks.

CPS investigators spend some time investigating and inspecting the home beyond one single visit. They must examine homes for evidence and observe parent-child interactions to determine for sure if there are signs of abuse.

Child abuse and neglect are multidimensional issues. For this reason, CPS alone cannot do the job of protecting and ensuring the safety of children. They work with several different agencies to best ensure children’s safety.

CPS also needs a doctor visit form from the parents, which shows children are of sound medical, dental, visual, auditory, and behavioral health. They also need to see CPS files, police reports, criminal records if applicable, and school reports .

A CPS home inspection checklist needs to include the information obtained from all of the documents mentioned. The instant there are signs that someone is abusing a child in any way, whether physically, sexually, emotionally, or through neglect, CPS must intervene immediately.

CPS home inspection checklists are typically paper-based. But a paper checklist is easy to misplace, fill out incorrectly, or damage. In addition, after making a home visit, investigators usually have to spend several working hours in the office evaluating inspections and preparing reports , which is time not spent working with families.

With workflow automation software like Lumiform, CPS home visit checklists are easy and faster to conduct via smartphone or tablet using the mobile app . And Lumiform checklists walk inspectors through every step of the process, ensuring no mistakes are made.

Lumiform makes CPS home visits productive and easy to manage by:

• Making it easy to turn existing paper forms into digital checklists in just a few steps by using the custom form builder . In addition, digital forms can be updated at any time.
• Letting you include additional photos and notes during inspections to create more thorough reports
• Helping you track inspections, reports, and other tasks using Lumiform’s desktop software
• Facilitating follow-up appointments for additional home visits and timely reminders
• Storing inspection data securely in the cloud, so information from past home visits is available at any time

CPS home inspection requirements typically include ensuring a safe, clean, and habitable environment for a child. Inspectors check for hazards, adequate living space, and proper provisions for the child’s basic needs.

During a home inspection, CPS looks for signs of abuse or neglect, safety hazards, cleanliness, sufficient food and clothing, and appropriate sleeping arrangements for the child.

A CPS home visit checklist includes items such as checking for working smoke detectors, secure storage of harmful substances, access to clean water and food, and overall home cleanliness and safety.

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Robyn Neath

Robyn started her writing career after receiving her screenwriting diploma from InFocus Film School in Vancouver, BC. Before joining lumiform she worked as a freelance copywriter for esteemed news and online tech organizations. She is a content writer who also does copy for websites, sales pages, and landing pages. Aside from writing she is passionate about TV series like Frasier and movies.

CPS Home Visit Inspection Form

CPS workers use this form template for their home visit inspections. All minimum criteria that must be fulfilled are listed.

Foster Care Home Inspection Checklist Template

Licensing authorities and individuals can use this foster care home inspection checklist template to review a foster home prior to licensure.

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Preparing for a home visit

The thought of preparing for a home visit is something that makes even some of the most confident and qualified adoptive parents feel nervous. It’s a major step in the adoption process, but don’t sweat it – we’ve got you covered on what to expect.

What can you expect when your social worker conducts your home visit?

• A tour and inspection of your home: Yes, you’ll feel good if you’ve tidied and cleaned and made your home sparkle, but you don’t need to worry if you haven’t attained domestic perfection. What the social worker is looking for is to see your general living spaces, bedrooms, and to know that it’s a safe environment for a child to be in. For instance, if the social worker notes that you should get a fire extinguisher or baby proof certain areas, the goal is for the social worker to point it out to you so that you can take certain steps before the next home visit. Guidelines for each home visit vary by state, but most don’t require that you have a child’s bedroom setup before this visit.
• An in-depth interview: Here, too, your goal should not be to worry about fitting into a cookie-cutter image of what a perfect adoptive family might look like. Rather the interview is an opportunity for your social worker to get to know your family better. Some of what they’ll want to learn is more about your family biography, your own history as a child, your experience with other children and your parenting style, your values, your traditions, if you’ve had infertility issues and how you’ve worked through them, and a whole wealth of other topics. The major goal here is for the social worker to better understand your family dynamic and why you’re motivated to adopt. They will also want to learn more about what you know about adoption, including your general understanding of adoption and the specific steps in the process. The social worker may also recommend certain adoption training classes that will help prepare you to parent – including cultural diversity classes to help prepare you for raising a child of a different background or race. If you have a partner, you’ll be interviewed together, and in some states you may be interviewed separately too. Anyone else who lives in your home, such as another child or a grandparent, will also be interviewed.

Again, despite the fact that this is a big step in the adoption process, you shouldn’t be too worried. The social worker’s major goal here is to make sure that you’re ready to become a parent. Not only are they there to evaluate your family’s suitability for adoption, they’re also there to help prepare you for it. So the best thing you can do is be honest, be open, and be yourself. This is just one step among many that will help prepare you to welcome a child to your family. You’re working toward that happy ending, and this is just one moment along the way.

• “Parent-to-parent: Preparing for the adoption home study visit.” Adoptive Families. Adoptive Families. Retrieved September 12 2018. https://www.adoptivefamilies.com/adoption-process/parents-share-preparing-for-the-adoption-home-study-visit/.
• “The adoption home study process.” Child Welfare Information Gateway. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Administration on Children, Youth and Families Children’s Bureau, October 2015. Retrieved September 12 2018. https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubpdfs/f_homstu.pdf.

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5 Things CPS Looks For During a Home Visit

Legally Protect Yourself During A CPS Home Visit

It’s one of the most stressful things a parent can endure: a CPS visit. You may have one scheduled, or your CPS social worker showed up unexpectedly. The best thing to do during an investigation is to know how to prepare for it.

Even the best parents can feel overwhelmed by a visit from a social worker. Having any stranger come into your home to essentially judge whether or not it’s suitable for your kids is intimidating and stressful. Despite giving your kids everything they need, a social worker might make you feel you’re never doing enough.

Parents should know what social workers are looking for when doing a home visit. This way, the visit will be less stressful, and parents are less likely to make small mistakes. The most important thing that both parents and social workers want is for children to be safe and happy. Here are 5 things CPS looks for during a home visit. 

Also Read: How Child Support Affects Your Taxes

How To Prepare For a CPS Home Visit

Prepare yourself to answer some (possibly) uncomfortable questions. Normally if CPS is called, it’s because there’s concerns over a child’s safety. This could mean a bad fight in public with your child to even a neighbour worrying that you can’t pay rent.

Assess the reason or incident that caused CPS to get involved. Take some time to reflect on your personal choices and your parenting tactics. Ask yourself:

• How you do discipline your children
• Is the discipline effective, yet safe
• Do you meet all your children’s needs
• Are there more effective ways for you to conduct these things

Parents are only human. They can make mistakes, just like anyone else, even when it comes to parenting. Take some time to reflect on your home’s safety and your parenting.

Your CPS worker will ask questions about your parenting. Remain claim, even if the questions seem ridiculous like “have you ever hit your child to discipline them?” Be sure to also make note of the last time they were sick, went to the doctor, and what shots they’ve had. 

Also Read: What CPS Can And Cannot Legally Do During Investigations

5 Things Social Workers Look For During a Home Visit

Aside from ensuring the family dynamic is stable and safe, your CPS will also look for some other things. Your CPS social worker will need some space and a distraction-free area to speak with you. Make sure you have a space set up for this interview. While interviewing you, your social worker will look for:

The Environment

Have you created a space for you and your CPS social worker to talk distraction-free? This space needs to be relatively clean, and have no distractions like a TV. Your home doesn’t need to be spotless, but it should be tidy before CPS comes. Most importantly, your home should be safe. 

Above all, there should be a space for your children. Aside from food, water, and shelter, kids also need to have fun. The social worker will look for some toys, or other items that belong to your kids. Don’t panic if your children’s room is a little messy, the social worker is only making sure they have a livable space in your home. 

Other Hazards

Aside from having a clean and livable space, your social worker will also look to see if your home is free of any hazards. Make sure there is nothing that could make your home dangerous. This could mean ensuring wires are tucked away and unused outlets are covered. This also means making sure that things like loose steps are repaired right away. Any trip, fall, electrical, and safety hazards should be taken care of. 

Make sure any that could be harmful to your children is safely stored and locked away. This includes:

• Detergents and cleaners
• Pest control products
• Other chemicals 
• Power tools and other equipment
• Prescription drugs
• Alcohol 

In addition to ensuring that your home is safe, the CPS social worker will also make sure that you have some preventive measures ready. This includes locks on your garage, attic, or basement if they’re unsafe for kids. All the smoke detectors should also work properly, and are you’re prepared for any emergency.

Illegal Activity 

There should be no illegal substances in your home. Any liquor or other harmful substances need to be locked away and out of your children’s reach.

In addition to looking for signs of your own personal use of illicit substances, your social worker will also look for signs of creating, buying, and selling of anything illegal. 

Basic Needs 

Your CPS social worker will look at the condition of your pets. All your pets should be properly fed, bathed, and habituated. A pet can be a tell-tale sign that your home is unsafe. If your pet has ticks, fleas, or there’s signs and smells of animal waste, your home could be seen as incredibly hazardous to your children.  

Above all, your children’s basic needs must be met. This means making sure your fridge and pantry is full enough to feed your entire family. Anywhere where food is stored should also be clean and stocked with relatively healthy options. Kids should also have toys to play with and have evidence that they are in school if they’re old enough.

Also Read: Can CPS Take Your Child For Missing School?

Your Relationship To Them As A Parent

For the most part, CPS workers just want to make sure your children are safe and you have a good relationship with them. The social worker will ask some pretty basic questions about what they like and don’t like. Let them know what a normal day looks like for your family, and some ways that you bond with them. 

CPS is allowed to speak with your children alone. Be sure to prepare them as well. They don’t need to lie about anything, but they shouldn’t fear the social worker either. 

What To Do If Your Kids Are Unlawfully Taken Away

It’s unlikely that a social worker will take your children away upon their first visit. Unless your home presents an immediate danger to your children, it’s rare CPS will take your kids after one visit. However, it can happen if the home puts your kids in immediate danger.  

If your home is safe and you feel your case worker judged your situation a little too harshly, you can always call a family lawyer to see how you should proceed. You may have had an off day, or you feel your case worker has discriminated against you. To find a family lawyer near you, call the number at the top of your screen.    

Also Read: How To Report An Unethical CPS Worker  

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What Is a Social Worker Visitation?

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Social workers who work in specific settings, such as child welfare agencies, are often called upon to perform home visits with their clients. A social worker visitation is a visit performed in a home or, occasionally, another suitable location for the purposes of supervising a meeting between two parties.

This can be a daunting task that requires appropriate professional boundaries and clinical skills needed to manage visitations. Understanding the importance of home visits in social work will help you better understand the work.

Function of the Job

There are varying levels of visitation, ranging from structured family visits to relaxed or intermittent supervision, in which a social worker is only present for part of a visitation. In most cases, social worker visitations are performed to provide supervision to families who have been separated due to abuse, neglect, abandonment or drug and alcohol abuse.

Social workers who work in child welfare settings are probably the most common providers of visitation services. Visitations most often occur when children are removed from their natural families and placed in alternative care settings, but they may also occur when children remain in their homes. Depending on the circumstances, children may be allowed to have supervised visits with their families, including parents and siblings.

Goals for Visits

A social worker usually tries to promote reunification of the family, if possible. This is not always feasible, and sometimes children are permanently removed from their families and placed in foster care. A social worker evaluates the circumstances and behaviors of involved parties during each visitation to determine the appropriate course of action, explains MyCaseHelper.com .

During a visitation, the social worker teaches specific parenting skills to parents and assists them with interacting with their child. She also helps children deal with fears of abandonment and the difficulties inherent to being separated from their parents.

Responsibilities of Social Workers

A social worker who performs visitations usually has several important responsibilities to her clients. It's crucial for children to maintain strong attachments to their parents when they are removed from their homes.

A social worker's main responsibility is to maintain the attachment of a child to his parents. She accomplishes this by arranging frequent, supervised contact, which may vary based on the age of the child.

A social worker may also prepare placement plans, develop written visitation plans that include frequency and timing of visits, notify parents if visitations need to be cancelled or rescheduled and perform administrative tasks, like filling out forms and other paperwork.

Other Factors to Consider

Visitations may take a social worker out of her comfort zone, especially in the beginning phases. Do social workers do home visits alone? Yes, and this can be dangerous. During the first visit, a social worker is entering unfamiliar territory and must take certain precautions to ensure her safety and the safety of her clients, explains Social Workers Toolbox.com .

She needs to assess safety conditions in the home and ensure that certain boundaries are respected. For example, a social worker must establish rules for parties involved in the visitation, such as using appropriate language and maintaining physical boundaries.

Social workers must also be aware of exits to the home and make sure that her supervisor knows the exact details of the visitation. She should know when to remove herself from volatile situations and when to bring law enforcement along on her visits.

• MyCaseHelper: 5 Things CPS Looks For During a Home Visit
• Social Workers Toolbox: Child protection home visit – practical guidance

Ashley Miller is a licensed social worker, psychotherapist, certified Reiki practitioner, yoga enthusiast and aromatherapist. She has also worked as an employee assistance program counselor and a substance-abuse professional. Miller holds a Master of Social Work and has extensive training in mental health diagnosis, as well as child and adolescent psychotherapy. She also has a bachelor's degree in music.

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How to Prepare for the IHSS Social Worker Visit

The IHSS Social Worker Visit

During the application process, you will undergo a home interview, which includes a visit from a social worker who will assess the capabilities of your child. To best prepare for this interview, read the information below. While the process is fairly straightforward, you will feel more confident and relaxed if you know what to expect.

Before the IHSS Social Worker Visit

The key is to make sure you have as much information as possible that shows how your case matches the IHSS requirements. It is important that you have every piece of documented evidence of why your child needs IHSS financial assistance. Your child’s IEP should also be present, as well as any documents from his doctor or other healthcare providers. Also, ABA goals to stop wandering such as the Stop/Go activity can also be helpful in your case. It is beneficial to keep a Dangerous Behavior Log to share with the social worker.

Any medical information can help your case as well. Get doctor’s notes, results from medical tests, and information about any therapies. Ask for statements from teachers or other professionals who know how the disability affects your child.

During the IHSS Social Worker Visit

Upon entering your home, department officials must identify themselves, show photo identification, and their badge. The representative must be professional at all times, and must act according to the law. This means that they may not infringe upon your constitutional rights or the constitutional rights of anyone else, including searching your home or removing physical items of evidence, or treating you with disrespect. An inspection of your home or your possessions has to be necessary for verifying your eligibility and your child’s need for services.

Remember that the application process can be very lengthy, and you may need to seek the help of a disability advocate to present your case.

If you feel overwhelmed and you need help, please contact us.

American Advocacy Group is on the front lines every day, making positive change happen for people diagnosed with Autism, Down syndrome and a range of diagnoses across the continuum. As a leading advocate for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, and the premier provider of the support and services people want and need, we understand the system and know how to take action in regard to your best interests.

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Direct Service Providers for Children and Families: Information for Home Visitors

How home visitors can protect themselves and their clients from COVID-19 and other diseases that can be spread from person to person.

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Home-visiting professionals, or home visitors, provide many needed services directly to children and families in their home. These direct service providers can include maternal, infant, early childhood, and early intervention home visitors. They also may be teachers and therapists who provide needed services for infants, children, and teens, including those with disabilities. When in-person services are delivered, they are often done in close and consistent contact with the clients. This means that it is important to use prevention strategies to protect the home visitor and the family from diseases that can be spread from person to person, such as COVID-19, but also flu, colds, and other respiratory or gastrointestinal illnesses. In addition, home visitors are trusted sources of information and support for families, particularly those who experience health inequity . This page provides an overview of how home visitors can protect themselves and their clients during home visits.

Strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19

With current high uptake of COVID-19 vaccination and high levels of population immunity from both vaccination and infections, the risk of medically significant disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 is greatly reduced for most people. At the same time, we know that some people and communities, such as our oldest citizens, people who are immunocompromised, and people with disabilities, are more likely to get severely ill and face challenging decisions navigating a world with COVID-19.

People who are up to date on COVID-19 vaccines have much lower risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 than unvaccinated people. However, many home visitors work with children who are not yet eligible for vaccination. When making decisions about preventive behaviors in addition to vaccination, people should consider the COVID-19 Community Level in the county . These levels show the degree of risk (low, medium, high) and describe the prevention strategies that are recommended for each level. Prevention strategies — like staying up to date on vaccines, screening testing, ventilation, and wearing masks — can help limit severe disease and reduce the potential for strain on the healthcare system. For home visitors who work with children, it may not be feasible to use all recommended prevention strategies. Therefore, particularly in communities with medium or high COVID-19 levels, home visitors should use multiple layers of recommended COVID-19 strategies to the extent possible  while also following any applicable guidance from regulatory agencies and state and local public health departments.

The following information is a brief overview of strategies that home visitors can use when working with children and families. Detailed information about ways home visitors can protect themselves is in the COVID-19 Guidance for Direct Service Providers (cdc.gov) and in the COVID-19 Guidance for Operating Early Care and Education/Child Care (ECE) Programs (cdc.gov)

Ways home visitors can protect themselves and the families they serve:

1. vaccination.

Vaccination is the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and dying from COVID-19. As with vaccines for other diseases, people who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines  are best protected.

Home visitors can protect themselves, their own families, and the families they care for by staying up to date with all vaccinations, including COVID-19 vaccines. As trusted professionals who know their families well, home visitors can play a role in helping families learn about the importance of vaccines and about supporting children’s healthy development by keeping up to date on all well visits and preventive screenings, such as screening for developmental delays and lead poisoning . They can help connect the family to a regular primary healthcare provider who provides consistent and supportive health care and serves as the family’s medical home . They can remind families that children should get all routine vaccinations to help protect themselves and others from vaccine-preventable diseases , and that family members who are up to date on all vaccines protect children who are not yet old enough to get all vaccines.

Families who are not up to date with all vaccinations may have questions and concerns about the vaccines. Home visitors can promote vaccines by:

• Encouraging families to connect with a regular primary healthcare provider and stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines.
• Sharing information with parents and caregivers to answer questions and help with any worries and concerns: COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens, Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination in Children , and Resources to Promote the COVID-19 Vaccine for Children & Teens .
• Using the strategies that health care providers use to help with worries and concerns: Talking with Patients about COVID-19 Vaccination , Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination .
• Helping families who have worries and fears about needles for themselves and their children: Needle Fears and Phobia – Find Ways to Manage .
• Finding ways to support COVID-19 vaccination in their ECE programs .

2. Ventilation

Improving ventilation is an important COVID-19 prevention strategy that can reduce the number of virus particles in the air. Along with other preventive strategies , bringing fresh outdoor air into a building helps keep virus particles from concentrating inside. Home visitors can improve ventilation or ask families to improve ventilation during the visit by

• Opening multiple doors and windows, if feasible.
• Using child-safe fans to increase the effectiveness of open windows.
• Using the exhaust fan  in the kitchen or bathroom to increase air flow, particularly if opening windows is not possible.
• Using portable HEPA air cleaners .
• Visiting with the child outdoors when possible.

Learn more about encouraging families to improve the ventilation in their home .

3. Hygiene: Respiratory Etiquette, Handwashing, Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting

Home visitors can limit the spread of illnesses by following all guidance on cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting. During home visits, many activities may involve touching children, and infants and toddlers often need to be held.  For COVID-19 in general, cleaning once a day is usually enough to sufficiently remove potential virus that may be on surfaces. However, in addition to cleaning for COVID-19, home visitors should practice and encourage families to practice respiratory etiquette and recommended procedures for cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfection , such as after diapering , feeding , and exposure to bodily fluids. See more information about cleaning and sanitizing toys .

Home visitors can use the following strategies:

• Use respiratory etiquette , including covering coughs and sneezes and washing hands immediately after blowing the nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If handwashing is not possible, use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. Hand sanitizers should be stored up, away, and out of sight of young children and should be used only with adult supervision for children under 6 years of age or for children with certain disabilities that make it hard for the child to use hand sanitizer safely on their own.
• Avoid touching the eyes while holding, washing, or feeding a child.
• Wear disposable gloves during activities such as dressing, bathing/showering, toileting, feeding. Safely dispose of gloves after use. Wash hands before and after taking off disposable gloves. If gloves are unavailable, wash hands immediately after.
• Change clothes right away if body fluids get on them, whenever possible, and then rewash hands. Launder work uniforms or clothes after each use with the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items completely.
• Wash anywhere that was in contact with a child’s body fluids and follow recommendations on  cleaning and sanitizing toys, other learning tools , and assistive devices, particularly if they were in contact with body fluids.
• Follow recommendations for cleaning and disinfecting the home  if someone is sick, or tests positive for COVID-19.

When people ages 2 and older wear a well-fitting mask correctly and consistently, they protect others as well as themselves  from infections that are spread through the air or through respiratory droplets. Consistent and correct mask use is recommended in public settings in communities with high COVID-19 Community Levels , and around people at high risk for severe disease in communities with medium COVID-19 Community Levels . At all COVID-19 Community Levels, people can wear a mask based on personal preference, informed by personal level of risk. People with symptoms of COVID-19, people with a positive COVID-19 test results who are around other people, and people who are quarantining because of a close contact, should wear a mask.

Masks should not be worn by children under age 2. Some older children or adults cannot wear a mask, or cannot safely wear a mask , because of a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.).

When choosing a mask , home visitors can consider fit, comfort, and the special needs of the people around them. To facilitate learning and social and emotional development, consider wearing a clear mask or cloth mask with a clear panel when interacting with young children, children learning to speak or read, children learning another language, or when interacting with people who rely on reading lips. Generally, vinyl and non-breathable materials are not recommended for masks . However, for ease of lip-reading, this is an exception to that general guidance.

5. Physical Distancing

It is generally recommended that people maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from persons who are sick with COVID-19. However, maintaining physical distance between a home visitor and their clients is often not feasible during home visiting, especially during certain activities such as physical therapy, feeding, holding/comforting, and among younger children in general. When it is not possible to maintain physical distance in home visiting settings, it is especially important to layer multiple prevention strategies, such as masking indoors, improved ventilation, handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and regular cleaning to help reduce COVID-19 transmission risk.

6. Isolation and Quarantine

People who are confirmed to have COVID-19 or are showing symptoms of COVID-19 need to stay home (known as isolation) regardless of their vaccination status. This includes

• People who have a positive viral test  for COVID-19, whether or not they have symptoms .
• People with symptoms  of COVID-19, including people who are awaiting test results or have not been tested. People with symptoms should isolate even if they do not know if they have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19.

People who come into close contact  with someone with COVID-19 should quarantine  if they have not had confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days and are in one of the following groups:

• Infants and young children who are not eligible for vaccination based on age .
• Staff and older children who are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccines (have not received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including any booster dose(s) when eligible ).

Home visitors can encourage families to monitor children at home for fever (a temperature of 100.4 ºF (38.0 ºC)  or other signs of illnesses that could be spread to others [PDF – 1 page] , including COVID-19, and adjust visit schedules if needed. Services may be provided virtually during quarantine or isolation if feasible.

Learn more about CDC guidance on COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation  and about making decisions about the length of quarantine and isolation for young children:  Isolation and Quarantine in Early Care and Education (ECE) Programs .

7. Mental Health Support

Taking care of children requires a lot of effort and includes many challenges. CDC provides resources to support the mental health of home visitors and the families they serve, for example:

• Stress and Coping
• How Right Now – Finding What Helps with Emotional Well-Being and Resilience
• Tips for Promoting School Employee Wellness
• Taking Care of Your Emotional Health
• Learn About Children’s Mental Health
• Mental Health
• Occupational Health and Safety
• COVID-19 Guidance for Direct Service Providers
• Vaccinating Children with Disabilities Against COVID-19
• Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program | MCHB (hrsa.gov)
• Home Visiting | The Administration for Children and Families (hhs.gov)
• Health Tips for Home Visitors to Prevent the Spread of Illness (hhs.gov) [PDF – 11 pages]
• COVID-19 Information for Health Centers and Partners | Bureau of Primary Health Care (hrsa.gov)
• Learn About Child Development
• “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” 

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What Is Home Visiting?

Early childhood home visiting is a service delivery strategy that matches expectant parents and caregivers of young children with a designated support person—typically a trained nurse, social worker, or early childhood specialist—who guides them through the early stages of raising a family. Services are voluntary, may include caregiver coaching or connecting families to needed services, and provided in the family's home or another location of the family's choice. 

Home visiting is a holistic, two-generation approach.

Home visiting views child and family development from a holistic perspective that encompasses child health and well-being, child development and school readiness, positive parent-child relationships, parent health and well-being, family economic self-sufficiency, and family functioning. A two-generation approach with a lengthy history , home visiting delivers both parent- and child-oriented services to help the whole family thrive. Although services differ across models, home visitors typically—

Gather Family Information to Tailor Services

• Screen caregivers for issues like postpartum depression, substance use, and domestic violence
• Screen children for developmental delays

Provide Direct Education and Support

• Provide knowledge and training to make homes safer
• Promote safe sleep practices
• Offer information about child development

Make Referrals and Coordinate Services

• Help pregnant women access prenatal care
• Check to make sure children attend well-child visits
• Connect caregivers with job training and education programs
• Refer caregivers as needed to mental health or domestic violence resources

Discover more in our Primer and At a Glance resources.

Home visiting outcomes are supported by research.

Research shows that voluntary home visiting programs help improve infant and maternal health, develop safe homes and nurturing relationships to prevent prevent child abuse and injury or mortality, support early learning and long-term academic achievement, and make referrals and coordinate services. Studies have found a return on investment of $1.80 to $5.70 for every dollar spent. This strong return on investment is consistent with established research on other types of early childhood interventions.

Learn more about the benefits .

Many models are evidence based or on the path to becoming so. 

Programs choose from a variety of models to implement with families, each suited to differing community needs, target obstacles, and available resources. The Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomVEE) project administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued a set of criteria for evidence of model effectiveness. Models that meet criteria are deemed evidence based. NHVRC surveys evidence-based and emerging models at the national, state/local, and tribal levels annually to provide a comprehensive assessment of the landscape in our Yearbook .  

Visit our model profiles for details on individual models.

Home Visiting Primer READ

Stay up to date on the latest home visiting information.

Home » What is Home Visiting?

What Is Home Visiting?

Voluntary Home Visiting is an effective state strategy that connects expectant parents and parents of young children with a designated support person, like a trained nurse, social worker, or early childhood specialist. Because parents and primary caregivers play the most important role in supporting their children’s healthy development, states make voluntary home visiting available so families have the supports and resources that they need and want – and outcomes for babies improve.

Evidence shows that various home visiting models can be highly effective prevention strategies. When babies don’t get what their growing brains need to thrive, they don’t develop as they should, which leads to life-long developmental, educational, social, and health challenges. In order to support parents in this critical developmental window, states, communities, and nonprofits have been supporting various home visiting strategies for decades.

The Bipartisan Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV)

In 2010, a bipartisan act of Congress established the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV), which provides significant funding to states for the development and implementation of home visiting through programs with measurable results.

Administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration in partnership with the Administration for Children and Families, the MIECHV program is designed to improve maternal and child health, prevent child abuse and neglect, increase families’ education level and earning potential, and promote children’s development and readiness to participate in school.

MIECHV-funded voluntary programs for new parents have been broadly popular with both parties, and it was reauthorized in a bipartisan budget bill in 2015 and signed by President Donald Trump.

Does it Work?

Voluntary home visiting has been implemented in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, 5 territories, 25 tribal communities, and 51 percent of U.S. counties. This is likely because of the growing evidence that high-quality home visiting programs can:

• Increase children’s school readiness
• Enhance parents’ abilities to support their children’s overall development
• Improve child health and development
• Improve family economic self-sufficiency and reduce need for food assistance

Voluntary home visiting can also provide a crucial support for expecting and new parents in rural areas, where access to these types of trained professionals may be limited.

Funding and Expansion

Nationally, just over 2 percent of families with infants and toddlers who could benefit from evidence-based home visiting are receiving those services.

In seven states, that number is less than 1 percent. While reauthorization and expansion of MIECHV can play an important role in helping states support more parents, states are using additional funding sources to expand voluntary home visiting. Many are leveraging multiple funding streams to supplement their MIECHV funding, including state budgets, Medicaid, Family First Prevention Services Act funding, and even COVID relief funds.

Why? In addition to being an efficient and effective use of funding (studies find a return on investment of $1.80 to $5.70 for every dollar spent on voluntary home visiting), research also increasingly shows that voluntary home visiting is the kind of parent-led support that families want. 

State Home  Visiting Programs in the News:

Delaware Advocates Unleash Power of Alliance Responsive Support Network to Advance Child Care and Home Visiting

Momentum for accessible and high-quality child care is gaining steam, and advocates say technical assistance from he Alliance for Early Success has played a big part in their ability to seize the opportunity.

Allies and Policymakers Make New Jersey the Second State in the Nation to Offer Families Universal Home Visiting

With the passage and signing of S690 in 2021, New Jersey universal home visiting became a reality. The legislation establishes a statewide newborn home visitation program in the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, making the state the second in the nation with this level of home visitation.

DC Advocates Fend Off Early Childhood Cuts with the Power of Coalition-Building

Advocates in DC pivoted their 2020 goals to respond to the challenges of the pandemic. Despite obstacles, they preserved funding for early childhood services and secured additional funds to help struggling child care providers. They did this all through the work of a coalition formed specifically to advocate for early childhood funding.

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The Alliance for Early Success does not endorse or advocate for specific legislation or candidates.

What to expect from an initial visit with a social worker to discuss becoming a foster carer.

The first step to becoming a foster carer with our independent fostering agency is getting in contact with our team. You can either phone Focus Foster Care on 0800 524 4797 or email [email protected] . Following a conversation with a member of our team, if you continue to be interested in fostering, the next step would be for an initial visit at your home to take place. If you would like to be prepared for what is to come during this very early yet important stage of your fostering journey, we have answered some frequently asked questions about the first visit with a social worker in this post. Big life changes and decisions are often accompanied with some anxiety, we hope this post puts your mind at rest and helps you to feel prepared to confidently take your first step into life as a foster carer.

Frequently Asked Questions.

Where will an initial visit to discuss fostering take place? Your first meeting with a member of our team will take place in your home. It is important for us to see your spare room and the home where the children you could potentially foster will be living.

Who will I meet at the initial visit? One of our social workers will come to your home for this first meeting. You can get to know all the member of our team by reading our Meet The Team blog posts. We are a small team and if you become an approved foster carer with our agency you will get to know us all.

Can my own children be present at the meeting? It is entirely up to you if you would like your children to be present during the meeting. It is not necessary for us to meet them at this early stage but if you would like them to sit in during the conversation with our social worker then that is up to you.

What is the purpose of this meeting? The purpose of this first meeting is to give you an opportunity to have a friendly, informal face to face discussion with a social worker about the role of fostering and what it involves. We want you to have the opportunity to ask any questions you might have.

This meeting is also an opportunity for us to gather some more background information from you, to view your spare bedroom and to discuss any other Health & Safety related issues that are apparent.

Our intention is to leave you with an understanding of what fostering is all about so that you can make an informed decision about whether proceeding to an application to foster is right for you and your family.

What topics can I expect to be discussed during this initial visit? This first meeting is an informal discussion but many different things will be covered. Some of the topics we will cover include: – Household composition and details of any children (including adult children) – Current and past employment – Your motivation to foster – Transferrable skills and relevant life experience. – Your health – Your support network – Your lifestyle – Accommodation – Any criminal convictions What questions should I ask during this first meeting? This meeting is an opportunity for you to ask any questions you have about fostering and our independent fostering agency. You can ask any questions that are important to you. Frequently asked questions include what support can I expect to receive from Focus Foster Care and what are the training requirements for new foster carers?

What is the next stage following the initial home visit? After your meeting with one of our social workers you will then decide whether you want to apply to foster with Focus Foster Care. We will have indicated based on the information gathered during our visit and having been able to see your home environment, if we would be in a position to accept your application.

How long will it be between the first home visit and having a child placed in my home? If your application is accepted, we progress to stage 1 of the assessment process where we complete mandatory checks with your consent. These include an enhanced DBS check, a health assessment, employer references and personal references. Depending on the outcome, a decision is made about progressing to stage 2 of the assessment which involves a number of home visit/study appointments with an assessing social worker. On average it takes 6 months for a full assessment to be completed and presented to our Fostering Panel.

If you are interested in joining our team of foster carers, please contact us on 0800 524 4797 .

To find out more about fostering and how to become a foster carer with our independent fostering agency, please read the following pages on our website: Types of foster care. Who can foster? How to become a foster carer with Focus Foster Care. Fostering – frequently asked questions. The benefits of fostering with Focus Foster Care.