Section 75-03-36-31 - Adoption - Services to prospective adoptive parents1. A child-placing agency serving minority race children shall have a recruitment plan that actively recruits homes of the same race as the adoptive children to preserve the adoptive child's culture.2. The child-placing agency shall provide information to a prospective adoptive parent about the adoption process, the child-placing agency's policies and practices, legal procedures, and the approximate time the adoption process will take, adoptive standards, children available, the availability of a subsidy if appropriate, and a payment schedule which clarifies provision of services, dates of payment, and an estimate of final costs.3. The child-placing agency shall provide education to a prospective adoptive parent to ensure they have a well-rounded understanding regarding trauma, the needs of an adoptive child, and the importance of maintaining biological and cultural connections.4. The child-placing agency shall require the prospective adoptive parent of a foreign-born child to purchase a surety bond, or have five thousand dollars in savings, to provide financial protection for a possible disruption, or unexpected medical costs prior to finalization unless the adoptive parent is provided a copy of the decree of adoption from the foreign court at the time of finalization in the foreign country.5. The child-placing agency shall document a summary of the information and maintain on file the adoption assessment. An adoption assessment must be completed in the form and manner prescribed by the department which must include onsite visits of the prospective adoptive parent's home to assess physical safety, personal beliefs, motivation and commitment to adopt, relationship status, support systems, financial stability, substance use, mental and behavioral health stability, plans to support the child's long-term needs, cultural and biological family connections, plan for care of the child in the event of death and any supplemental information determined necessary and collected throughout the assessment process. 6. During the course of the assessment, the child-placing agency shall keep the applicant informed of the applicant's status. When an applicant is denied a recommendation for adoption, the child-placing agency shall inform the applicant, in writing, of the reasons the child cannot be placed in the applicant's home. The child-placing agency shall offer services to the applicant as needed.7. The child-placing agency shall require an adoptive family assessment be updated at least every two years from the date of completion of the original assessment until a child is placed into the home for the purpose of adoption.8. The child-placing agency shall have regular contact with an approved waiting adoptive family to assess their circumstances and ability to adopt a child for adoptive placement.9. The child-placing agency shall develop policy and procedure to allow applicants to grieve the services provided by the child-placing agency or to grieve the child-placing agency's decision regarding adoption assessment denial. N.D. Admin Code 75-03-36-31
Amended by Administrative Rules Supplement 2024-392, April 2024, effective 4/1/2024.General Authority: NDCC 50-12-05
Law Implemented: NDCC 50-12-07, 50-12-08