Investigation of prospective adoptive parents.
1. The agency which provides child welfare services or a child-placing agency shall, within 60 days after receipt of confirmation of the natural parents’ intent to place the child for adoption and a completed application for adoption from the prospective adoptive parents, complete an investigation of the medical, mental, financial and moral backgrounds of the prospective adoptive parents to determine the suitability of the home for placement of the child for adoption. The investigation must also embrace any other relevant factor relating to the qualifications of the prospective adoptive parents and may be a substitute for the investigation required to be conducted by the agency which provides child welfare services on behalf of the court when a petition for adoption is pending, if the petition for adoption is filed within 6 months after the completion of the investigation required by this subsection. If a child-placing agency undertakes the investigation, it shall provide progress reports to the agency which provides child welfare services in such a format and at such times as the agency which provides child welfare services requires to ensure that the investigation will be completed within the 60-day period. If, at any time, the agency which provides child welfare services determines that it is unlikely that the investigation will be completed in a timely manner, the agency which provides child welfare services shall take over the investigation and complete it within the 60-day period or as soon thereafter as practicable.
2. If the placement is to be made in a home outside of this state, the agency which provides child welfare services or child-placing agency must receive a copy of a report, completed by the appropriate authority, of an investigation of the home and the medical, mental, financial and moral backgrounds of the prospective adoptive parents to determine the suitability of the home for placement of the child for adoption, unless the child and one of the prospective adoptive parents are related within the third degree of consanguinity.
Last modified: February 25, 2006