Adoption.

Existing law prescribes the procedures for the relinquishment of a child to the State Department of Social Services or a licensed adoption agency for adoption, and requires the relinquishment to be signed and acknowledged before specified persons. Existing law specifies certain time periods during which a birth parent may revoke a relinquishment for adoption, but also provides that a birth parent may elect to sign a waiver of the right to revoke relinquishment in the presence of specified persons. Existing law requires that if the waiver is signed in the presence of an authorized representative of a private licensed adoption agency, the relinquishment becomes final and irrevocable at the close of the next business day. This bill would additionally provide that if the waiver is signed in the presence of an authorized representative of a private licensed adoption agency, the relinquishment becomes final and irrevocable at either the close of the next business day or at the close of the next business day after expiration of any holding period specified in writing, whichever is later. The bill would also provide that the waiver of the right to revoke relinquishment is invalid if the relinquishment is determined to be invalid, is revoked during any holding period specified in writing, or is rescinded, as specified. Under existing law, at the discretion of the department, county adoption agency, or a licensed adoption agency, an abbreviated assessment or home study of the prospective adoptive parent may be performed, as provided, if the prospective adoptive parent of a child is a foster parent with whom the child has lived for a minimum of 6 months or a relative caregiver who has had an ongoing and significant relationship with the child. This bill would permit an abbreviated assessment or home study for a licensed or certified foster parent with whom the child has lived for a minimum of 6 months, an approved relative caregiver or nonrelated extended family member with whom the dependent child has had an ongoing and significant relationship, a court-appointed relative guardian of the child, as specified, or a prospective adoptive parent who has completed an agency-supervised adoption within the last 2 years. The bill would require that the abbreviated assessment include a review by the department, county adoption agency, or licensed adoption agency of all previous guardianship investigation reports, home study assessments, and preplacement evaluations of each applicant, and would authorize the department or these adoption agencies to receive a copy of any of these reports upon a written request that is accompanied by a signed release from the applicant. The bill would state that these provisions do not apply to independent adoptions, and would authorize the department to promulgate regulations. Existing law requires prospective adoptive parents in an independent adoption to pay a fee to the department or delegated county adoption agency for the cost of investigating the adoption petition. Under existing law, the department or delegated adoption agency may reduce the fee to no less than $500 if the prospective adoptive parents are very low income according to the income limits published by the Department of Housing and Community Development. This bill would instead authorize the department or delegated adoption agency to reduce the fee if the prospective adoptive parents are lower income according to those income limits.