Personal References

Finding good personal references for the home study is important, because these reference letters will be read. As potential adoptive parents, your references should convey that you are ready to parent a child, and will make good parents. It is important to put careful thought into who you would like to write the reference letters, being sure to select people you have known for at least a few years.

Other things to consider are your potential reference’s background (i.e. choose people who are parents to explain good parenting traits), and that the reference does not have any prejudices against international or transracial adoptions.  Always ask if the person is willing to be a reference first, before listing him/her as a reference, or assuming that your friend, or family member, will invest the time it takes to write a reference letter.  You will want to ensure that the person writing the reference will be happy to recommend you as an adoptive parent, and not view letter as a hassle.