(1) A prospective adoptive parent who wishes to adopt a child may initiate the process by:
- (a) establishing a client relationship with the department or a licensed child-placing agency; or
- (b) requesting a preplacement evaluation from the department, a licensed social worker, or a licensed child-placing agency.
- (2) In a direct parental placement adoption, the preplacement evaluation must be conducted by either a licensed social worker or a licensed child-placing agency.
- (3) The prospective adoptive parent and the home of the prospective adoptive parent must be studied and evaluated according to the provisions of this part.
- (4) A department or agency from which an individual is seeking to adopt a child may require the individual to be evaluated by its own qualified employee or independent contractor even if the individual has received a favorable preplacement evaluation from another evaluator.
- (5) Fees for the study and report are set by the entity completing them and must be paid for by the prospective adoptive parent.
History: En. Sec. 84, Ch. 480, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 21, Ch. 311, L. 2001.