N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 18 § 424.4

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 51, December 18, 2024

Section 424.4 - Inquiry-finding a parent

(a) If an adoptive home has not been found for a handicapped or hard-to-place child within three months of the date on which such child was freed for adoption, the agency with responsibility for the care of the child shall make inquiry with the registry to identify prospective homes for such child, and shall continue to make inquiry at a minimum of once every three months until such time as the child is placed in an adoptive home.

(b) An agency having care of a handicapped or hard-to-place child may, at any time, inquire of the registry for a prospective adoptive home for a child in its custody, regardless of the child's legal status.

(c)

(1) Agencies with terminal access to the computer system operated by the department shall make an inquiry directly to the registry. Agencies without terminal access to the computer system operated by the department shall make an inquiry to the department, unless an inquiry can be facilitated at the local social services district office or another voluntary agency with terminal access to such system, when formal written arrangements have been agreed upon to facilitate data retrieval.

(2) Registering agencies which do not have terminal access to the computer system operated by the department shall not be charged any fees by a social services district or another voluntary agency for making inquiries to the department through such district's or agency's computer system.

(d) Upon finding prospective adoptive parents who are registered in the registry who have expressed an interest in adopting a child with the characteristics of the available child, the agency having responsibility for the care of the child shall contact the agency which registered the potentially suitable parents and do one or more of the following:

(1) verbally discuss the suitability of the potential home for the child;

(2) ask the registering agency to send it a copy of the home study or a summary thereof; or

(3) be in direct contact with the potential adoptive parents, when deemed appropriate by the registering agency.

(e) The registering agency shall cooperate with the agency having care of the child in conducting the home study and, where appropriate, facilitate the placement of the child in a home which has been studied by the registering agency. Such cooperation shall include, but not be limited to, those tasks set forth in this subdivision. The registering agency may only inform the agency with care of the child of the unavailability of an approved home if it has a specific placement planned for that home within a period not to exceed two months from the inquiry date.

N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 18 § 424.4