1. (a) During the adoption family application process, the child-placing agency shall obtain:

   1. (1) A signed application as provided by the child-placing agency;
   2. (2) A signed medical statement from a licensed physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner on each applicant based on an examination given within one year of the application;

   3. (3) A financial statement which includes:

      1. a. The monthly income available to the household from all sources including adoption subsidies for children with special needs;
      2. b. Monthly expenses such as rent or mortgage, food, clothing, utilities, insurance, loan and credit card payments; and
      3. c. Assets such as savings, investments, and real estate;
   4. (4) Information on the adoptive parent applicants’ religious preferences, if any; and
   5. (5) A minimum of 5 personal references provided by persons who have known the applicants for at least 2 years, one of whom is a relative and the remaining 4 unrelated to the applicant by blood or marriage.
2. (b) The child-placing agency shall provide the adoptive family applicant with an agency-specific adoptive family handbook informing them of policies, procedures, and forms, which are relevant to its specific agency.

3. (c) A family assessment and application shall be completed as described in He-C 6446.04-.13 for an adoptive applicant family which:

   1. (1) Includes at least 3 meetings with at least one meeting in the home;
   2. (2) Consists of individual and joint meetings, when applicable, with the couple;
   3. (3) Involves all adults and children of sufficient understanding in the household;
   4. (4) Shall be completed within 120 days of the date that the application and all required documents were received, unless the applicants agree in writing that the child-placing agency may extend the time allowed to complete the family assessment;
   5. (5) Provides written results to the applicant of the adoptive family assessment within 30 days after completing the family assessment; and

   6. (6) Includes consideration of the following factors to assess the adoptive parent applicant’s compatibility with a child and any problems the adoptive parent applicants might encounter following the adoption:

      1. a. The adoptive parent applicants’ motivation to adopt;
      2. b. If applicable, how the adoptive parent applicants have dealt with issues of their infertility;
      3. c. The adoptive parent applicants’ expectations of the child and preferred child characteristics; and

      4. d. The adoptive parent applicants’ feelings about adoption and how adoption will be explained to the child, including:

         1. 1. Searches for birthparents or other relatives;
         2. 2. Reunification with birthparents or other relatives;
         3. 3. Open adoption which is the private and non-legally binding agreement between birth parents that the adoptive child can remain in contact with the birth parents or other biological relatives;
         4. 4. Attitude toward parents who place their child for adoption; and
         5. 5. The background of the child.

4. (d) The minimum requirements for acceptance of the adoptive parent applicants shall be as follows:

   1. (1) Each adoptive parent applicant shall be at least 18 years of age;
   2. (2) Each prospective adoptive parent shall confirm their commitment to adopt;
   3. (3) The adoptive parent applicant shall not have been convicted of child abuse or neglect or any other serious crime that would affect the ability to care for children;

   4. (4) The adoptive parent applicants and all household members shall be screened by the department, pursuant to RSA 170-B:18, VII , for any founded reports of child abuse or neglect on file with DCYF, and:

      1. a. If a founded report is on file for any member of the adoptive parent applicant’s household, DCYF staff in cooperation with staff from the child-placing agency shall conduct a complete review of the circumstances surrounding the report; and
      2. b. After review, if DCYF determines that the household member poses no further threat to any child, the child-placing agency shall proceed with the application process;
   5. (5) Adoptive parent applicants, whether married or single, shall have established a stable and consistent home life in that the applicant shall be self-sufficient and shall have adequate support systems such as extended family and friends in the community who are able to assist the family;
   6. (6) The applicants shall demonstrate good physical and emotional health, with a reasonable expectation that the good health will continue throughout the minority of the child;
   7. (7) Sufficient physical space and accommodations in the home shall exist for the adoptive child; and
   8. (8) The applicants shall have sufficient income to support the family and the child they wish to adopt.

5. (e) Approved adoptive families who have waited a year for a placement shall have an annual home visit and family assessment update which includes:

   1. (1) Any changes to the original family assessment;
   2. (2) An update of the household members medical health;
   3. (3) Updated criminal checks for all household members; and
   4. (4) Updated child protective services checks for child abuse or neglect.
6. (f) Adoptive parents must wait at least 6 months after the placement of a child for adoption, and until the adoption is final before submitting an application for an additional unrelated child or children. The requirements in (a)-(d) above shall apply to applications and family assessment for additional children.
7. (g) A child-placing agency shall approve a home as an adoptive home if the completed application and assessment demonstrate that the adoptive applicant can provide care in compliance with the requirements of RSA 170-B:18.

Source. #7866, eff 4-2-03; ss by #9895, eff 4-2-11, EXPIRED: 4-2-19 New. #12767, INTERIM, eff 5-2-19, EXPIRES: 10-29-19; ss by #12911, eff 10-24-19 (formerly He-C 6448.13)