Texas - Home Study Application

Start your Texas adoptive home study with one of our two providers: Texas Adoption Home Studies (Laura Johnson) or Texas Home Studies (Cheryl Duke).

Meet Texas Adoption Home Studies

Laura Johnson

laura johnsonAt Texas Adoption Home Studies we have been providing adoption home studies for over 20 years. Our work has assisted hundreds of families in completing domestic, embryo, stepparent, second-parent, and relative adoptions throughout Texas.  If you need an expedited study or fast turn around we can help you.  We are also available for selected appointments for studies required for custody cases.

Reports are always prepared by experienced and licensed professionals who deliver timely, high-quality studies. When selecting a home study provider, it is important to use someone you can trust, and who has the experience and knowledge to write a report that meets all Texas and federal requirements. With Texas Adoption Home Studies you can rest assured your study will exceed these standards and requirements.

What areas does Laura serve?

Texas Adoption Home Studies completes reports in Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and El Paso as well as other regions of the state and statewide.

Texas Adoption Home Studies provides services in the following regional catchment areas:

  • Central Texas including, Austin, Georgetown, Round Rock, Temple and Waco.
  • North Texas Including Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington
  • South Texas including, San Antonio, Brownsville, McAllen and Harlingen and Victoria.
  • Northwest Texas including Lubbock, Amarillo and Abilene.
  • East Texas including Tyler, Nacogdoches, Longview, Huntsville and Texarkana.
  • West Central Texas including Midland, Odessa, and San Angelo.

What types of home studies does Laura complete?

Texas Adoption Home Studies can complete initial domestic, embryo, step-parent/2nd-parent, and update home studies.

How much does a Texas Home Study cost?

Their fees range from $1400 for a stepparent adoption and up to $1800 for a domestic adoption home study. In a few cases, there might be associated travel costs but these are minimal.

They will send you a letter of agreement and other required paperwork including a checklist. After your initial retainer fee is paid to secure services, you will be able to log on and download your adoption home study packet. The remaining amount of your home study fee is due before the home visit/interviews. There are fees required for FBI fingerprint checks and child abuse and neglect checks in Texas, have no cost other than any notary fees for the form.

Ready to get started?

  1. Schedule time with Laurie Shelton to discuss additional ways PairTree can help you on your adoption journey.

  2. Please fill out the form below.

Meet Texas Home Study

Cheryl Duke

Cheryl1

Cheryl E. Duke, MA, NCC, LPC-S is a graduate of Texas State University San Marcos with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Disorders and a Master's Degree in Professional Counseling specializing in marriage and family therapy.  Along with earning her degrees, she is a National Certified Counselor as well as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor in the state of Texas. Cheryl has assisted adoptive families for several years and works closely with attorneys, the courts, agencies, and the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC).   
Doing your home study in Texas includes unlimited adoption education and six months of PairTree Connect. See plans & fees for more information.
The adoption world can be overwhelming so please let us know if you have any questions at all. 

What others are saying about Cheryl...

"Cheryl was amazing to work with. She was very responsive, knowledgeable, and helped to guide us through the process start to finish. We were also amazed by her quick turnaround! It was nice to have such a friendly face to guide us through what can be a daunting process."  -Frisco, Texas

"We cannot thank Cheryl enough for all she has done for us.  Not only did she take a seemly stressful situation and made it informative, but she also made it fun.  Her professionalism and courtesy were above and beyond what we expected.  She thoroughly explained every step, every detail, her responsiveness was beyond our expectations."  -Austin, Texas

Anna St. Martin

Anna-2My name is Anna St. Martin and I am so excited to join the PairTree family! My professional history is primarily in education where I worked as a middle school English/Language Arts teacher and later as a school counselor. It was during our adoption journey that I was inspired to pursue a career as a home study provider and help others grow their families through adoption.  I am a Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate, supervised by Cheryl E. Duke, MA, NCC, LPC-S. 

What others are saying about Anna...

When we started the adoption process, Anna was one of the first people we reached out to. She was knowledgeable and kind when answering all of our many questions. Each step of the process was broken down into sections which made it less overwhelming. Anna promptly guided us through when there was any confusion on our part. Anna's personal relationship with adoption makes her an excellent advocate. Having Anna on our team has been a pleasure and we look forward to working with her in the future.  - Rusk, Texas

What areas do Cheryl & Anna cover?

We serve all of Texas, excluding the El Paso and Amarillo areas. Unfortunately, the great state of Texas is so large that we cannot regularly travel and serve the far areas of El Paso and Amarillo. 

How much does a home study cost?

Cheryl & Anna's home study fees start at $1,600. 

Ready to get started?

The first step in your home study is to complete the application below. After you submit the information, you will be contacted byPairTree (depending on your location). We will let you know the next steps. 

 



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