A friend asked if there is a way to tactfully encourage a social worker to get the homestudy written up in a timely manner. I think it is an excellent idea to address the issue directly. In fact, that was one of the first questions I asked when we had to switch homestudy agencies for this past adoption.

But I do think you need to be tactful and friendly. You don't want to kill any positive vibes right from the start, and you also don't want to sound unreasonable with your requests.

There are probably a variety of ways to approach it. But here is an example of how I would frame a discussion like this:

"I am planning to have all my documentation to you by June 1, and my
husband and I are keeping our schedule open to accommodate the interviews. I'm wondering-- would it be possible to get our three meetings done by June 15th?"

I'd wait for the social worker's response to find out if that is feasible. Have your calendar handy and gently push to schedule as MANY of the interviews as soon as you can. People's schedules have a way of filling up, so getting on the schedule early will be to your advantage. Once you have an idea of how soon the meetings will happen, go on to the question of actually writing the study.

"If we can get all the meetings out of the way by June 15th" (or
whatever date she stated as possible), "would it be reasonable to hope for a complete study by July 2nd?"

Then discuss. Some people will think it is utterly impossible to write a homestudy in two or three weeks, and they'll tell you so. But suggesting a close date will convey your hopes to the social worker. I think if you frame it as honest questioning, with the attitude of "I don't know how long it takes to write a study....help me out here", social workers will be open to give you some estimates.

Always find a place to tactfully suggest your preferred timeline during this discussion, and mention dates at the 'efficient' end of the timing spectrum. This will make a social worker less likely to assume that four or five months from now is just fine. The social worker may still need to give you a longer timeline than you'd first hoped, but she'll probably try to come closer to your idea of timeframe than she would have otherwise.

Above all, be tactful and friendly and expect good stuff from people. In my experience, most social workers are really kind people who do their best to help. It helps everyone if you are up-front about what you are hoping for from them.