Maine Code § 22-8205

Collection and disclosure of information about a child's background
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This section governs the collection and disclosure of information about the child's background. [PL
1995, c. 391, §3 (RPR).]
1. Information to be collected. The licensed child placing agency shall obtain medical and genetic
information on the birth parents and the child. Specifically, the licensed child placing agency shall
attempt to obtain:

A. A current medical, psychological and developmental history of the child, including an account
of the child's prenatal care, medical condition at birth, results of newborn screening, any drug or
medication taken by the child's birth mother during pregnancy, any subsequent medical,
psychological or psychiatric examination and diagnosis, any physical, sexual or emotional abuse
suffered by the child and a record of any immunizations and health care received since birth; and
[PL 1995, c. 391, §3 (NEW).]
B. Relevant information concerning the medical, psychological and social history of the birth
parents, including any known disease or hereditary disposition to disease, the history of use of drugs
and alcohol, the health of the birth mother during her pregnancy and the health of the birth parents
at the time of the child's birth. [PL 1995, c. 391, §3 (NEW).]
[PL 1995, c. 391, §3 (NEW).]
2. Disclosure before placement. Prior to the child being placed for the purpose of adoption, the
licensed child placing agency shall provide the information described in subsection 1 to the prospective
adoptive parents.
[PL 1995, c. 391, §3 (NEW).]
3. Specific reasons for concern. If the licensed child placing agency has specific, articulable
reasons to question the truth or accuracy of any of the information obtained, those reasons must be
disclosed in writing to the prospective adoptive parents.
[PL 1995, c. 391, §3 (NEW).]
4. Notice that information unavailable. The prospective adoptive parents must be informed in
writing if any of the information described in subsection 2 can not be obtained, either because the
records are unavailable or because the birth parents are unable or unwilling to consent to its disclosure
or to be interviewed.
[PL 1995, c. 391, §3 (NEW).]
5. Request for additional information. If, after a child is placed for adoption and either before
or after the adoption is final, the child suffers a serious medical or mental illness for which the specific
medical, psychological or social history of the birth parents or the child may be useful in diagnosing or
treating such illness, the prospective adoptive or adoptive parents may request the child placing agency
to attempt to obtain additional information. The child placing agency shall attempt to obtain the
information promptly and shall disclose any information collected to the prospective adoptive or
adoptive parents as soon as reasonably possible. The licensed child placing agency may charge a fee
to the prospective adoptive or adoptive parents to cover the cost of obtaining and providing the
additional information. Fees collected by the department must be dedicated to defray the costs of
obtaining and providing the additional information. Fees may be reduced or waived for low-income
prospective adoptive or adoptive parents.
[PL 1995, c. 391, §3 (NEW).]
6. International adoptions. If the child to be placed for adoption is from a foreign country that
has jurisdiction over the child and the prospective adoptive parents are United States citizens,
compliance with federal and international adoption laws is deemed to be compliance with this section.
[PL 1995, c. 391, §3 (NEW).]

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