The Importance of Pre-Adoption Assessments

Becoming a parent can be scary, nerve-wrecking, and intimidating — and nothing quite prepares you for the realities of raising children. If you’ve chosen to take the adoption route to parenthood, a pre-adoption assessment could certainly benefit you and/or your partner.

 

What is a Pre-Adoption Assessment?

A pre-adoption assessment is conducted by a licensed clinical psychologist and allows parents to learn more about themselves and gain the confidence and skills needed to take on the wonderful, life-altering challenge of adoption. This assessment is not included in the formal adoption report — it is simply an aid for pre-adoptive parents to determine whether they are ready to adopt a child. This assessment will help identify the parents’ strengths and weaknesses. With these results, psychologists can provide guidance for seeking additional support that will ensure parents are adoption-ready.

 

What specifically does this assessment measure? 

Pre-adoption assessments explore the following topics:

• Personal history
  • Family background
  • Childhood
  • History of mental illness
  • Feelings toward adoption
• History as a couple
• Personalities

These assessments usually consist of an interview and a personality test, and last between 3-4 hours. This sounds intimidating, but just remember — psychologists aren’t expecting you to be perfect! Just answer their questions honestly and to the best of your ability.

 

The psychologists at Geo Psychological Testing specialize in pre-adoption assessments. Through careful analysis, Dr. Hirshenbaum’s assessment process allows for clarity and individualized recommendations to move forward with the adoption process. Interested in adoption but not sure whether you’re ready yet? Contact Geo Psychological Testing today!

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