Document Gathering

What we needed for a MN home study.

Most of these I got in triplicate (back ups etc.) but some I only got one.

Certified copy of birth certificates (http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/chs/osr/birth.html)
>I just faxed in the order.

Certified copy of marriage certificate( http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/chs/osr/mardiv.html) in Hennepin County (http://wwwa.co.hennepin.mn.us/portal/site/HCInternet/menuitem.3f94db53874f9b6f68ce1e10b1466498/?vgnextoid=9cf6e7f78c5fc010VgnVCM1000000f094689RCRD)
> I went to the downtown government center and got them in person

Certified copy of divorce decree (if applicable) (http://www.courts.state.mn.us/district/4/?page=1750)
>I think I mailed in this one.

Physician report.
>Home study agency provided the form, we just mailed it the physician. They were really cool and got back to us in like a week.

Background history affidavit.
>If you’ve gotten anything more then a police ticket. I had to get a copy of the court records downtown at the government center. A really nice woman helped me out – it was pretty complicated. Once you figure out the case number, it’s easy to get a certified copy of the court record. Also, you need to get a local police copy of any arrest record. There are other stuff you need to get, TBD circumstance.

Hennepin county clearance (criminal/cival/juvenile court consent)
>There was a form we had to sign and mail in. We never saw the results – it went to the home study agency.

County social services – release of information
>A form we filled out and enclosed a self addressed stamped envelop and went directly to the home study agency.

Police department letter/letter of good conduct.
Need for all places lived in the past 10 years. Most of the police departments were really easy to work with (MSP), others struggled a bit but in the end we got them all.
> MSP – easy for MSP residents, just go down to police station (it’s in the basement) and ask for it. You can get it for your spouse if you bring a copy of their drivers license.
> Plymouth – call and then you go pick it up
> Brooklyn Park – call and pick it up
> Hopkins – call and pick it up

Statewide Criminal Clearance Records
>Form we filled out and then could either go in person or have mailed to us. Because we needed this for the homestudy and international dossier, I went in person.  We needed our notarized (not all countries require it to be notarized & I don’t think it needs to be notarized for the home study).  I wanted to make sure the notary stamp was good for a while. It was a snap but a bit of a drive to St. Paul.
>The woman at the desk was a bit iffy so I only got one copy of this. I sent it to the home study agency. They made a copy of it and then I am also using the same clearance/letter for the dossier.

The following were provided by the home study agency – either forms sent to other (e.g., references) or forms we signed (e.g., legal name)
Four references
Legal Names Forms
DHS application for child placement
DHS family fact sheet
Attitudes towards disabilities & behaviors
Publicity release form
Declaration of medical insurance for child
Release of information (physician to release info to home study agency)