Providing Information to Adoptive Families

Section 309 Section 309.150  Providing Information to Adoptive Families The Department or adoption agency will provide, if known, to the family identified to adopt the child the following information, in writing, regarding the child as soon as possible, but no later than 10 days prior to the date of the adoptive placement or the legal risk placement with prospective adoptive parents in the event the child is not yet free for adoption: a)         Information about the child's biological parents, which shall include: 1)         age of the biological parents; 2)         their race, religion, cultural and ethnic backgrounds; 3)         general physical appearance; 4)         their education, occupation, hobbies, interests and talents; 5)         existence of any other children born to the biological parents, including the first names and ages of the adopted child's siblings and additional identifying information with appropriate consents; 6)         information about biological grandparents, reason for immigrating into the United States, and country of origin; 7)         relationship between biological parents; 8)         whether the birth parent or parents requested or agreed to post-adoption contact with the child at the time of placement and, if so, the frequency and type of contact; and 9)         detailed medical and mental health history of the biological parents and their immediate relatives as described in subsection (c). b)         Information about the child, which shall include: 1)         identifying information which includes name, birth date, place of birth, order of birth, race, sex, physical description; 2)         developmental history which includes prenatal, delivery, postnatal, age at which significant milestones were achieved, and significant deficiencies or problems; 3)         education, which includes: A)        schools attended, grade level, type of program, present level of functioning, and current teacher; B)        special problems in school; and C)        the child's perception of his or her school experience; 4)         information about the child's personality and behavior, which includes: A)        how the child presents him/herself to the worker; B)        behavior problems, acting-out, delinquency; C)        family's perception of child, role in family, interaction with parents and siblings, with whom the child relates most often, favorite parent or sibling, least favorite parent or sibling, who disciplines, how each child perceives his/her role in the family; D)        child's strengths, interests, skills; E)        religious/cultural beliefs of the child; and F)         child involvement with the agency, including child's perception and involvement  with other agencies, and the legal system; 5)         placement history, which includes: A)        reasons and date the child came into placement; B)        information as to why the child was unable to return to his/her family of origin; C)        number of placements the child has experienced since he/she has been in the care of the Department and reasons for each move; D)        information pertaining to any physical or sexual abuse or neglect of which the child was the victim or perpetrator; and E)        how and why the adoptive parent or parents were selected and who selected the adoptive parent or parents; 6)         legal status, which includes: A)        whether the child is free for adoption; B)        whether the placement is a legal risk placement; or C)        whether the child has any other legal involvement. c)         Information about the medical and health histories of the child and the biological parents which shall include: 1)         for the child: A)        significant illnesses, diseases, disabilities, physicians, medications and immunization records; B)        conditions or diseases believed to be hereditary; C)        drugs or medications taken by the child's biological mother during pregnancy; D)        psychological and psychiatric information; and E)        any other information that may be a factor influencing the child's present or future physical, mental, or emotional health; 2)         for the biological parents: A)        chronic and acute illnesses, hospitalizations, general health of grandparents and siblings, alcohol or other drug abuse; B)        conditions or diseases believed to be hereditary; C)        psychological and psychiatric information; and D)        any other information that may be a factor influencing the child's present or future physical, mental, or emotional health. d)         No information provided under this Section shall disclose the names or last known address of the biological parents, grandparents, siblings of the biological parents, or any other relative of the child to be adopted with the exception of siblings as specified in subsection (a)(5).