I am not in Indiana but I am working through the process through the foster care system. I had to have a standard physical to assure I did not have any communicable disease or physical or mental health problems that would interfere with my ability to be a parent and I had to have a TB test. There was a 1 page form to be completed by my physician and my regular GP did the exam. People in my class who did not have a regular physician were referred to a local community health center who did the exams for free. I think most state foster care systems are the same although private agencies and international adoptions can vary a great deal. A friend of mine did International adoption from the Ukraine and she and her husband had to have much more extensive physicals.

I’m from Indiana. It will depend on the agency doing the home study but primarily they need to kow fertility issues, your doctor fills out a health form listing illnesses, medications, etc. You must also have a TB skin test and a blanket statement that says you are in good health and mental capacity to raise a child.

In Indiana, it will depend on if you are adopting privately, through a public or private agency. And then it will depend on the social worker doing the study how deeply he/she will go into your health issues. But basically, what is looked for is:

1. No communicable diseases
2. No life threatening illness
3. Reasonable life expectancy
4. No condition which would not allow you to safely care for a child the age you are approved for.
5. No addictions.
6. Healthy mentally, physically and emotionally.

Not perfect health, but healthy enough to reasonable care for and raise a child to maturity.

Most agencies do give you a form, and also talk about your history or current healthy. Some are lengthy and some are very basic.

Write me if you have a specific concern and I can give you an educated guess if that is what you are wondering about.

Good luck!

I would imagine it would be a detailed medical examination by your Dr. Good luck

We (the parents) had regular physicals and the children (my daughter) had to have a more invasive physical. The needed detailed information on our previous tests, meds, treatments and pretty much a unlimited access to our records.

And YES I needed to show a vet record for the cat, just to be sure he gets his shots, I totally forgot about that.

We had to do a complete physical with a family doctor who had served us for many years, including detailed family health history.

Invasive, yes. Necessary, yes.

The guy above….the dog had to have a physical? Haven’t heard that before!

My wife and I had to have physicals, the dog too but that is a different issue.

The doctor had to attest that we do not have communicable diseases and that we do not have a medical condition which would make it impossible to care for a child.

This was in Illinois, I am sure the procedures vary from state to state.

Good luck!

EDIT:
Yep, all members in the household, humans and pets. We needed a medical clearance from our vet.

For us, it was just a form we filled out. Nothing more in depth then what you fill out the first time you go to a new doctor. You also have to show that you and any other children in the house are up to date on vaccinations.

My wife has a long history of chronic medical problems. Nothing serious, like a history of cancer, but certainly problems which require her to be monitor regularly by doctors and to take medications to manage. Also, neither of us are the ‘picture of health’, we exercise and try to be active, but are overweight and could generally be healthier. In the home study, they noted these problems, but didn’t disqualify us because of them. So, based on our experience, as long as you can show your health issues are not going to shorten your life significantly and/or are being managed, you shouldn’t have a problem.

However, I have seen others on this site report that they had to have physicals. And that they, or people they know, did have problems adopting due to health issues.

I am going to guess it depends on your state. All we had to do was to have a physical on the DCFS form and also the Agency form. There is a permenant medical condtion within our family therefore we needed the extra letter from the Doctor explaining that this condition will not interfere with parenting and it does not shorten the life span. Good luck.

Our homestudy required a complete physical by a physician. We were also asked about family medical history.