In my last post I shared some insight on preparing for your homestudy, and offered a few things that I consider "homestudy don'ts". In this post I am going to share some things that I consider "homestudy do's", and things that are good ideas when you are preparing for a homestudy, whether it is your first, or an update.

- Do you have your paperwork in order. Many social workers will send you an information packet with a list of paperwork that they need before they come for the visit. Having everything ready for your social worker helps move the process along. Don't forget to follow up with people you have asked to be your references and ensure that they sent the letters in as you asked.

- Do clean up. While I recommended in my last post that you don't go crazy cleaning under beds and deep in closets, I also think it is a good idea to have your house cleaned up, as you would for any important visitor.

- Do have a quiet area set up where the social worker can sit. At a table or counter is usually best, since there is usually quite a bit of paperwork involved. Since during the homestudy visit the social worker usually has at least a little bit of one on one time with each parent and parent, having somewhere quiet and away from the rest of the family is a good idea.

- Do have something ready for your children to do, if you already have kids at home. The social worker usually spends quite a bit of time speaking to both of the parents, and you don't want your kids all over the place, being wild or getting in to trouble. Renting a new movie for your kids to watch or having a quiet activity ready (that they won't need a lot of help with) is a great idea. If you have very young children, having a friend or relative come over to help is also a possibility.

More homestudy tips in my next post.