What types of fees may be collected prior to completion and approval of a home study?

• A. Reasonable application fees, home study fees, and fees for education and training of prospective adoptive parents.
• B. Any fees the agency chooses.
• C. Only fees for birth parents' expenses.
• D. No fees may be collected until after the home study.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is which fees may be collected before the home study is completed and approved. Agencies may charge reasonable costs that cover the process steps already underway: an application fee to process the initial inquiry and background checks, a separate home study fee for the social assessment work, and fees for education and training that prospective adoptive parents are required to take as part of the process. These categories are allowed prior to final approval because they relate directly to starting and progressing the home study rather than to post-approval steps.

The other options aren’t correct because they either permit unrestricted fees, limit charges to birth parents’ expenses, or prohibit any fees before the home study is complete. The stated allowed categories provide a reasonable, regulated set of pre-study fees.