Administrative Practices – The Partner Provider must establish administrative

Administrative Practices – The Partner Provider must establish administrative policies, practices and procedures related to adoption. These must be clearly defined and explained and include the following: 1. The Partner Provider must follow MDCPS criminal background check requirements for the use of interim placements should it become necessary to do so prior to placing the child with the adoptive parents. 2. A decision on an application to adopt must be based on a home study which must include interviews with applicants and references, as well as medical and legal information. 3. Placement for adoption will be made in accordance with best practices for children whose parent’s rights have been terminated. 4. The Partner Provider must ensure that the inability of prospective adoptive parents to pay a fee will not be criteria of eligibility for applicants and will not in any way influence the choice of the most suitable family for each child. 5. A licensed child placing Partner Provider must not conduct or approve a home study on any of its employees or officials which includes board members, volunteers, relatives, or anyone else who has direct affiliation with the Partner Provider. Arrangements must be made with another licensed child placing Partner Provider or licensed social worker to conduct and approve the home study, make a placement, and provide post-placement supervision. 6. Home studies must be approved by a licensed social worker.