Family & Professional Services
Support for children, families and communities
A New Beginning provides adoption home studies, home study updates, post-placement supervision, adoption education, family preservation support, and court-related adoption services in Boise and throughout Idaho.
As a licensed nonprofit adoption agency, we serve adoptive families, adoptees, attorneys, courts, community organizations, and eligible families referred for intensive in-home support. Choose the service below to learn what it includes, who it serves, and how to get started.
Find the Service You Need
Adoption Family Services
Home Study
Home Study Updates
Home Study Validation
Post-Placement Supervision
Education & Training
Lifelong Adoption Support
Family Preservation Services
Intensive, in-home support (Referral Only) - HOMEBUILDERS®
Court-Ordered Adoption Services
Social Investigations
Court Testimony
Information for attorneys and courts
Adoptive Family Services
Adoption is more than a single event. Families may need professional guidance while preparing to adopt, assistance completing required steps, and support as children grow and new questions emerge.
A New Beginning provides adoption-informed services before, during and after placement. You do not need to be enrolled in one of our adoption programs to ask about many of these services.
Home Study
A New Beginning provides adoption home studies completed by trained adoption professionals. The home study process includes the following:
- Interviews
- Background checks
- Document collection
- Education
- Family home assessment
- Family relationships assessment
- Evaluate family readiness
- Verify safety and ability to provide a nurturing environment for the child
Most Idaho adoptions require a home study or court-directed investigation, although requirements may vary for certain relative, stepparent, adult, or court-specific adoption situations.
Home Study Updates
Adoption home studies must remain current while a family waits for placement. A New Beginning provides updates when required documents expire or when significant changes occur within a family or household. Home study update services are available to Idaho residents.
An update may be needed following:
- A change in address
- A change in employment or finances
- A change in household members
- A marriage, separation, or divorce
- A significant health change
- Family relationships assessment
- Expiration of background checks or supporting documents
- The passage of the applicable renewable period
If another professional completed your original home study, our team can review it and determine whether we can provide the home study update.
Post-Placement Supervision
A New Beginning provides post-placement supervision for families who received placement through our agency, another agency, or certain independent adoption arrangements. During post-placement visits, our adoption professionals:
- Help families navigate the adjustment period
- Discuss the child’s development and transition
- Answer questions and address concerns
- Provide education and family resources
- Prepare reports required for adoption finalization
These visits help families received needed support while fulfilling applicable supervision and reporting requirements.
Adoption Training & Education
A New Beginning is committed to efficiently preparing adoptive families for the process and the placement of a child in their home. Proper understanding and training drastically reduces adoption disruptions and positively impacts the transition of placement. As part of the home study families are required to attend the 2-day training.
Topics covered in required trainings:
Other Education Topics:
- Infant Adoption Information seminar- monthly
- Foster-Adopt Information seminar- monthly
- Age-appropriate adoption conversations
- Preparing extended family
- Parenting Education
- Parenting Support Groups
- Many other topics
Training and educational sessions are offered several times a year. Separate trainings are scheduled for infant adoption and foster-adopt and international adoptions.
Lifelong Support for Adoptive Families and Birth Families
Adoption is a lifelong journey for the adoptive families, adoptees and the birth families. As children grow and family relationships evolve, questions about identity, attachment, openness, grief, and personal history may take on new meaning.
A New Beginning helps connect adoptees, adoptive families and birth families with:
- Support groups (in-person and online)
- Educational opportunities
- Youth activities
- Parenting resources
- Adoption-competent professionals
- Annual events
- Additional family and community services
- Access to A New Beginning Support Services and professional counselors, peer support specialists and mentors
- Birth family connections and mentors
Family Preservation Services
Every family experiences challenges. When those challenges affect a child’s safety or place a family at risk of separation, intensive support can help families build the skills and stability needed to safely remain together.
A New Beginning provides an evidence-based preservation program for eligible families referred through the Institute of Family Development.
HOMEBUILDERS®
Homebuilders ® is an evidence-based, short-term, intensive program designed to help children safely remain at home or support successful family reunification.
Services take place in the family’s home, where new skills can be practiced in everyday situations. Trained professionals work closely with participating families through frequent visits and individualized support.
Services may address:
- Immediate child and family safety concerns
- Parenting skills and household routines
- Family communication
- Conflict resolution
- Problem-solving and coping skills
- Connections to ongoing community resources
Professionals are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to participating families during the program.
HOMEBUILDERS® is a Referral-Only Service
Homebuilders ® is available by referral only through the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Families cannot enroll directly through A New Beginning.
To learn more about the Homebuilders ® program, contact A New Beginning.
Court-Ordered Services
A New Beginning provides professional services for certain Idaho adoption proceedings, including adoptions that require the termination of parental rights, social investigations, professional court testimony and information or training for attorneys and court professionals.
A New Beginning provides professional adoption assessments and related servics but does not provide legal representation. Attorneys and courts determine the legal requirements.
Social Investigations
A New Beginning provides court-ordered social investigations for certain:
- Step-parent adoptions
- Grandparent adoptions
- Relative adoptions
- Guardian adoptions
- Adoptions involving termination of parental rights
Our staff completes a thorough, impartial assessment that may include:
- Interviews
- Review relevant records
- Evaluation of the child’s and family’s circumstances
The completed report is submitted to court and provides an objective assessment and professional recommendations concerning whether the proposed adoption is in the child’s best interests.
Professional Court Testimony
Our social workers and adoption professionals may provide professional testimony related to:
- Social investigations
- Adoption proceedings
- Home studies
- Professional assessments
- Applicable child-welfare matters
When requested by the court or retained by legal counsel, our professionals provide objective testimony regarding the assessments, findings, and professional recommendations.
Information for Attorneys and Court Professionals
A New Beginning’s professional have worked with our community professionals for over 20 years. Reach out to our team to discuss availability, scope of service, documentation, fees and scheduling.
Proudly serving Idaho for over 22 years
- Licensed Idaho nonprofit adoption agency
- Experienced adoption professionals and social workers
- Boise-based with statewide Idaho service
- Support before, during and after adoption
- Support birth families, adoptees and adoptive families
- Experience coordinating with agencies, health & welfare, attorneys and courts
Frequently Asked Questions about Adoption Family Services
Adoptive Family Services
Do I need to adopt through A New Beginning to receive a home study?
No. A New Beginning can complete an Idaho adoption home study for families working with another adoption agency or attorney, provided the requirements of the adoption program can be met.
You do not have to complete your entire adoption through A New Beginning to request home study services. As a licensed adoption agency in Idaho, A New Beginning has contracts with other adoption agencies, attorneys and adoption professionals to complete necessary services on their behalf. A New Beginning has social workers in each region of Idaho and works with prospective adoptive parents throughout Idaho who may be pursuing an agency, attorney-assisted, private, interstate, or other type of adoption. The home study evaluates your household, background, relationships, health, finances, support system, and readiness to adopt. Because agencies, attorneys, courts, and other states may have additional requirements, contact A New Beginning early so our team can coordinate with the professional managing your adoption.
When does an adoption home study need to be updated?
In Idaho, an adoption home study is generally valid for a new adoptive placement for one year from its completion date. It may need to be updated sooner if significant family or household circumstances change.
Families should begin the home study update process before the current study expires so an adoption opportunity is not delayed. An update may also be required when there is a change in address, household members, marital status, employment, finances, health, criminal history, or another circumstance that could affect the original assessment.
Can A New Beginning update a home study completed by another provider?
No. A New Beginning can not update a home study completed by another entity, however, A New Beginning can validate a home study. A New Beginning can review a home study completed by another qualified provider and determine whether it is valid and can be accepted, supplemented, or if a new home study is required.
Whether an existing adoption home study can be validated depends on who completed it, when it was completed, the type of adoption being pursued, and the requirements of the placing agency, attorney, court, or state. A New Beginning will review the original study and supporting records to identify missing, outdated, or program-specific information. Additional interviews, background checks, documents, training, or a home visit may be required. In some situations, completing a new home study may be more appropriate than the existing one. Families in Boise and throughout Idaho are encouraged to contact our team for an individual review.
Can A New Beginning provide post-placement visits for an independent adoption?
Yes, in many cases. A New Beginning may provide post-placement supervision in Idaho when another agency or attorney coordinated the adoption.
Post-placement visits take place after a child is placed with an adoptive family and before the adoption is finalized. During these visits, an adoption professional checks on the child’s adjustment, supports the family, answers questions, and prepares reports required by the court or placing professional. The number, timing, and content of visits may vary based on the type of adoption and the requirements of the placing state, agency, country, or court. Contact A New Beginning before placement whenever possible so our Boise-based team can review the requirements, coordinate with the other adoption professionals, and confirm that we can provide the necessary post-placement services in Idaho.
Family Preservation Services
What is the Homebuilders Program?
Homebuilders is an evidence-based, short-term, intensive program designed to help children safely remain at home or support successful family reunification.
Services take place in the family’s home, where new skills can be practiced in everyday situations. Trained professionals work clossely with participating families through frequent visits and individualized support.
Services may address:
- Immediate child and family safety concerns
- Parenting skills and household routines
- Family communication
- Conflict resolution
- Problem-solving and coping skills
- Connections to ongoing community resources
Professionals are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to participating families during the program.
Can families contact A New Beginning directly to enroll?
Generally, no. Homebuilders® is a referral-based family preservation service, and families do not typically enroll in the program directly.
Homebuilders® is an intensive, evidence-based, in-home program designed to help families experiencing a serious crisis, reduce the risk of a child entering foster care, and support safe family reunification when possible. A New Beginning provides Homebuilders® services in partnership with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
Eligibility is based on the family’s circumstances and the program’s referral requirements. Families who believe they may need intensive family preservation services can contact their Idaho Department of Health and Welfare caseworker or A New Beginning to ask about eligibility, available resources, and the appropriate referral process.
Court-Ordered Adoption Services
What is a social investigation in an Idaho adoption?
An Idaho adoption social investigation is a court-related assessment completed by a qualified adoption professional to provide the court with information about the proposed adoption.
The adoption professional gathers and verifies information relevant to the petition, interviews appropriate individuals, reviews required records, and prepares a written report for the court. Depending on the circumstances, the investigation may address the prospective adoptive family, the child’s situation, parentage, available medical and genetic history, and other information the court needs when considering the adoption. A New Beginning provides social investigation services in Idaho when authorized and appropriate. The court and the family’s attorney determine the exact requirements for each case.
Which types of adoptions may require a social investigation?
A social investigation may be ordered or required in:
- Private adoption
- Independent adoption
- Relative adoption
- Stepparent adoption
- Other adoption proceedings
How do attorneys request information about these services?
For more information about court-ordered services, contact A New Beginning via phone, email or the contact form on this site.
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🌐 https://adoptanewbeginning.org/contact
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