Barker is usually able to begin the home study expeditiously after receipt of the  application and the home study paperwork. Depending on the individual situation, the home study generally takes less than three months, including the time needed for clearances and references to respond.

When the interviews and paperwork are completed, the Barker social worker prepares the written document which is referred to as the home study. Depending upon the specifics of the situation, the home study will be provided to courts, attorneys, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and/or an overseas social welfare agency upon the family's directive. 

While being the parent of a child who is adopted is in most ways just like being the parent of a biological child, there are differences. Prospective parents are asked to think through how it might feel to grow up adopted, and how it might feel to place a child for adoption. They learn about the kinds of children who are in need of homes and carefully consider factors -- age, race, legal and medical conditions -- which they feel they could handle in a child they hope to adopt. They begin to anticipate the role that their child's birth parents will play in their lives, whether in fantasy or reality. Those thinking of transracial and/or transcultural adoption are asked to carefully consider the additional issues that come with this type of adoption. 

It is the evaluation part of the home study that makes most applicants nervous. In assessing a potential home we try to assure that several basic elements are present: a stable home environment, the emotional and financial resources to rear a child, realistic expectations about adoption, a strong marital relationship if married, and a genuine desire to parent. While assessment is a very real part of every home study, Barker's approach ensures that education, assistance with decision-making, and preparation for adoptive parenting constitute the central focus of the process. Since each family is different, each home study is different.