7 AAC 56.660. Adoptive and guardianship home study

(a) An agency shall conduct a home study for all applicants in the family being considered as an adoptive or guardianship home reviewed by the agency. The report of the home study must state the number of interviews and visits included in the home study. The home study must include at least the following:

(1) one face to face interview with all individuals living in the home;

(2) one on-site home visit;

(3) an assessment of the capabilities, willingness, and readiness of the prospective adoptive or guardianship parent to properly parent a child not born to the parent.

(b) The agency shall obtain all available information about each adoptive applicant regarding the following:

(1) motivation for adoption or guardianship;

(2) level of preparedness for adoption or guardianship, including how the family responded to orientation and other preparation information;

(3) current residence and the suitability of the family to provide a safe and healthy living environment for a child as compared to community standards;

(4) physical, mental, and emotional health status of all persons living in the home in relation to the family's ability to properly parent an adoptive or guardianship child:

(5) results of a check for all adults living in the home of abuse, violence or criminal background and an evaluation of the suitability of the home in light of any finding of such history;

(6) quality of marital and family relationships in relation to the family's ability to properly parent an adoptive or guardianship child;

(7) attitude of the extended family and friends regarding adoption or guardianship;

(8) applicant's feelings about the applicant's childhood and parents, including any history of abuse or neglect and the applicant's resolution of such experience;

(9) values, feelings, and practices in regard to parenting, child discipline, and care;

(10) sensitivity to, and feelings about, children and youth who have committed delinquent acts or who may have been subjected to abuse, neglect, separation from, and loss of their biological family, if the applicant is considering options in addition to adoption of a newborn;

(11) sensitivity to, and feelings about, birth families of children placed for adoption or guardianship and expectations about any on-going relationship with the birth family;

(12) sensitivity to, and feelings about, different socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic groups in relation to the family's ability to properly parent an adoptive or guardianship child and to maintain the cultural or ethnic identity of a child from a different background;

(13) expectations of, and plans for, adoptive or guardianship children;

(14) behavior, background, special needs status, or other characteristics of a potential adoptive or guardianship child that the family can and cannot accept and why, and a discussion of the prospective adoptive or guardianship parent's preparation, willingness, and ability to provide proper care for such a child;

(15) financial status and ability to support a child, including income, financial resources, debts, expenses, employment history, insurance coverage, and the family's ability to address possible ongoing needs of the child.

(c) Except when placing a child under emergency conditions, an adoption or guardianship home may not be approved if a person in the prospective adoption or guardianship home has a disqualification described in 7 AAC 56.210(b) . In an emergency placement an agency shall complete required clearances on persons in the home as soon as possible following the placement. However, the agency shall review the Alaska Sexual Offender Registry before placement of a child and a check of local court records before placement or on the first day that the court is open following the placement of a child.

(d) An agency shall request a child protection and licensing clearance from the division for each adult member of an adoptive or guardianship applicant household to ascertain that division records do not contain information described in 7 AAC 56.210(b) (1) and (4).

(e) An agency shall request a state and federal report of criminal history record information under AS 12.62.160 (b)(8)-(10) and 13 AAC 68.315(a) for each adult member of an applicant household to ascertain that the Department of Public Safety criminal justice information central repository does not contain information described in 7 AAC 56.210(b) (5).

(f) An agency may and the division will, in its discretion, require that a person residing in an applicant household provide an evaluation from a probation, health, or mental health professional affirming that the person is free from problems that can be detrimental to the health, safety, or well-being of a child.

(g) An agency shall obtain at least three positive written references on an applicant for adoption or guardianship, at least two of which are from persons unrelated to the applicant. A reference must

(1) be received by the agency directly from the individual making the reference;

(2) attest to the person's ability to work successfully with children, act as a positive role model for children, and meet the requirements of this section; and

(3) if taken by telephone, be recorded immediately by written notes, signed by the individual taking the reference, and dated.

(h) The worker responsible for a home study shall gather information required by this section, shall assess the family's capacity to parent children and shall recommend approval or disapproval to the division of the home for adoption or guardianship. If the recommendation is for approval of the home, the worker shall make specific recommendations on age, sex, special needs, and number of children recommended for placement in the home.

(i) Before placing a child in an adoptive home, the agency shall review and record the number, age, sex, if applicable, and special needs of the children for whom the home is approved.

(j) If a child has not been placed with the adoptive or guardianship applicants within one year of the time the home study is completed, the home study must be made up-to-date within the 30-day period before a child is placed in the home. The written update must include

(1) review and any required updating of each category of information in the adoptive home study; and

(2) documentation of at least one additional visit within the last six months to the home when all individuals living in the home are present.

History: Eff. 1/1/2001, Register 156

Authority: AS 44.29.020

AS 47.35.010

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