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Section 46b-129b – Filing of petition for adoption and written agreement of adoption by Commissioner of Children and Families. Review of adoption social study and other reports. Hearing. Adoptive parents entitled to receive copies of records and other information re history of child. Applicability of probate court provisions

May 15, 2021 | Connecticut, Family Law

(a) If the Superior Court grants a petition to terminate parental rights and appoints the Commissioner of Children and Families as statutory parent, the commissioner may, after the expiration of any appeal or appeal period, file a petition for adoption, together with a written agreement of adoption, in the Superior Court that granted the termination of parental rights.
(b) All social studies, psychological reports and court documents previously filed in the termination of parental rights proceeding shall be available to the court, subject to the rules of evidence, for review and consideration in acting upon the petition for adoption of such child. The court shall, to the extent possible, protect the confidentiality of biological relatives, unless such information has been previously disclosed.
(c) The Department of Children and Families shall prepare and submit with the petition for adoption an adoption social study regarding the proposed adoption, which shall include, but not be limited to, information required in reports filed with courts of probate pursuant to subdivisions (2) and (3) of subsection (b) of section 45a-727. All studies and reports filed with or subsequent to the filing of the petition for adoption shall be available to the adoptive parents. The studies and reports shall be admissible in evidence subject to the right of any interested party to require that the person making it appear as a witness, if available, and such person shall be subject to examination. The court shall, to the extent possible, protect the confidentiality of the biological relatives, unless such information has been previously disclosed.
(d) Upon receipt of the petition and the adoption social study, the court shall set a time and date for a hearing and shall give reasonable notice to the Department of Children and Families and all other parties of the adoption agreement, the child, if over twelve years of age, the attorney for the child, and any such other parties, as the court may require.
(e) Prior to acting on the petition, the court may continue the matter for further investigation and report, issue orders of notice or take other action. At the hearing, the court may deny the petition, or, if the court is satisfied that the adoption is in the best interests of the child, the court shall enter a decree approving the adoption.
(f) The adoptive parents shall be entitled to receive copies of the records and other information relating to the history of the child maintained by the commissioner. The adoptive parents shall be entitled to receive copies of the records, provided, if required by law, the copies have been edited to protect the identity of the biological parents and any other person whose identity is confidential.
(g) The provisions of subdivision (3) of subsection (c) of section 45a-727, sections 45a-731, 45a-732, 45a-736, 45a-737, 45a-743 to 45a-746, inclusive, 45a-748 to 45a-753, inclusive, 45a-755 and 45a-756 shall apply to adoption proceedings in the Superior Court and the Superior Court shall have all the powers granted to probate courts under said subdivision and sections.

Conn. Gen. Stat. ยง 46b-129b

( P.A. 12-82, S. 16.)

Added by P.A. 12-0082, S. 16 of the the 2012 Regular Session, eff. 10/1/2012.