Arkansas

Family Law

Section 9-9-501 – Definitions

As used in this subchapter:

(1) “Adoptee” means a person who has been legally adopted in this state;

(2) “Administrator” means the person charged with maintenance and supervision of a registry and may include the administrator’s agents, employees, and designees;

(3) “Adoption” means the judicial act of creating the relationship of parent and child when it did not exist previously;

(4) “Adoptive parent” means an adult who has become a parent of a child through the legal process of adoption;

(5) “Adult” means a person eighteen (18) or more years of age;

(6) “Agency” means any public or voluntary organization licensed or approved pursuant to the laws of any jurisdiction within the United States to place children for adoption;

(7) “Birth parent” means:

(A) The man or woman deemed or adjudicated under laws of a jurisdiction of the United States to be the father or mother of genetic origin of a child; or

(B)

(i) A putative father of a child if his name appears on the original sealed birth certificate of the child or if he has been alleged by the birth mother to be and has in writing acknowledged being the child’s biological father.

(ii) A putative father who has denied or refused to admit paternity shall be deemed not to be a birth parent in the absence of an adjudication under the laws of a jurisdiction of the United States that he is the biological father of the child;

(8) “Genetic and social history” means a comprehensive report, when obtainable, on the birth parents, siblings of the birth parents, if any, other children of either birth parent, if any, and any parents of the birth parents, that shall contain the following information:

(A) Medical history;

(B) Health status;

(C) Cause of and age at death;

(D) Height, weight, eye color, and hair color;

(E) When appropriate, levels of educational and professional achievement;

(F) Ethnic origins; and

(G) Religion, if any;

(9) “Health history” means a comprehensive report of the child’s health status at the time of placement for adoption and medical history, including neonatal, psychological, physiological, and medical care history;

(10) “Mutual consent voluntary adoption registry” or “registry” means a place provided for in this subchapter where eligible persons may indicate their willingness to have their identity and whereabouts disclosed to each other under conditions specified in this subchapter; and

(11) “Putative father” means any man not deemed or adjudicated under the laws of the jurisdiction of the United States to be the father of genetic origin of a child who claims or is alleged to be the father of genetic origin of the child.

Ark. Code § 9-9-501

Acts 1985, No. 957, § 1; A.S.A. 1947, § 56-138; Acts 1987, No. 1060, § 1; 2003, No. 650, § 5

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