ICPC State Pages

North Carolina Home Studies (Adoption/Foster Care/Kinship/Parent/Relative)

Types of Home Studies

North Carolina conducts the following types of home studies:

• Relative Care
• Foster Care
• Parent Care
• Adoption

North Carolina designates staff in each county/region to conduct home studies and/or process interstate placements:

• Other: No, home studies are conducted by the county departments of social services and private child-placing agencies.

North Carolina considers a home study as current/valid for:

• Public: 6 mos.
• Private: 6 mos.

Private Contract Services - Home Study

As the Sending State, North Carolina will pay a contractor or private/independent agency in the Receiving State to conduct a home study:

• No

As the Receiving State, North Carolina will permit a Sending state to pay a contractor or private/independent agency in the Receiving State to conduct a home study:

• Other: Yes, private agency must be licensed by the North Carolina Division of Social Services, see http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dss/licensing/listings.htm

As the Receiving State, North Carolina will accept/update a home study that was not originally conducted by the receiving state or a private contractor acting on behalf of the Receiving State:

• Will update

Adoptive Home Study

Home study for adoption conducted prior to Termination of Parental Rights (TPR):

• No

Prospective adoptive parents permitted to pay for a pre-adoptive home study:

• Private Adoptions: Yes
• Independent Adoptions: Yes

DCPS contracts for Purchase of Services with private agencies in other states:

• No

Foster Care Home Study

Home study for foster care conducted prior to Termination of Parental Rights (TPR):

• Yes

Parent Home Study

If child has been removed from the parent, North Carolina requires a home study evaluation before reunification:

• Yes

Non-Custodial Parents: Placements with non-custodial parents are not covered under the ICPC if:

• • A court does not have evidence before it that such parent is unfit
  • Does not seek such evidence
  • Does not retain jurisdiction over the child after the court transfers the child

Proof of Paternity is required:

• Yes: No information provided

Relative/Kinship Home Study

Home study for relatives conducted prior to Termination of Parental Rights (TPR):

• Yes

Define Relative:

• A child's relatives (other than parents)  is a birth or adoptive brother, sister, stepparent, stepbrother, stepsister, uncle, aunt, first cousin, niece, nephew, as well as relatives of half blood or marriage and those denoted by the prefixes of grand and great, including grandparent or great grandparent, or as defined in NC State statute for the purpose of foster care and adoptive placements.

Relatives must be licensed:

• No

Proof of Paternity is required:

• Yes : No information provided

North Carolina considers the following types and degrees of relation as relative placements. Individuals related in the 1st degree, 2nd degree, 3rd degree and 4th degree (You may need to refer to your state's consanguinity chart or state statute to determine relations or relative status.):

• 1st Degree (mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter)
• 2nd Degree (grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, first cousin)

a birth or adoptive brother, sister, stepparent, stepbrother, stepsister, uncle, aunt, first cousin, niece, nephew, as well as relatives of half blood or marriage and those denoted by the prefixes of grand and great, including grandparent or great grandparent, or as defined in state statute for the purpose of foster and or adoptive placements.

Regulation 7 Priority Placement

North Carolina performs priority placements:

• Yes

A court ordered Priority 7 conducted if the child is in a DCF shelter or foster home for substantial period of time.

Wait Time (ICPC Interstate Home Study) - Public

Average length of time to process and complete a home study with criminal background checks for an interstate placement (Not including completion of educational training):

• 60 days

Wait time to complete Home Study, only (without criminal records check):

• Other: N/A

Wait Time (ICPC Interstate Home Study) - Private

Average length of time to process and complete a home study with criminal background checks for an interstate placement (Not including completion of education training):

• Other: 60 days, can vary based on specific case needs.

Wait time to complete Home Study, only (without criminal records check):

• Other: N/A

North Carolina determines the "Date of Receipt" for an interstate home study as:

• Other

Method of requesting, sending, and/or reporting an interstate home study

Criminal Record Checks

North Carolina requires criminal background checks for the following home studies:

• Foster Care
• Relative-Foster Care
• Foster-Adopt
• Adoption
• Parent

Type of Checks (Crim. & Abuse Neglect Registry)

North Carolina requires the following types of criminal background and perpetrator checks (Federal (F), State (S), Local (L), Abuse and Neglect Registry (ANR), Not Required (NR))

Wait Time for Criminal Records Results

Wait time for fingerprint results are:

Live Scan or other technology

• State: 31-60 days
• Local/County: 31-60 days

Manually - Fingerprint Card

• State: 31-60 days
• Local/County: 31-60 days