New York Domestic Relations Code § 114

Order of adoption
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§ 114. Order of adoption. 1. If satisfied that the best interests of\nthe adoptive child will be promoted thereby, the judge or surrogate\nshall make an order approving the adoption and directing that the\nadoptive child shall thenceforth be regarded and treated in all respects\nas the child of the adoptive parents or parent. In determining whether\nthe best interests of the adoptive child will be promoted by the\nadoption, the judge or surrogate shall give due consideration to any\nassurance by a local commissioner of social services that he or she will\nprovide necessary support and maintenance for the adoptive child\npursuant to the social services law. Such order shall contain the full\nname, date and place of birth and reference to the schedule annexed to\nthe petition containing the medical history of the child in the body\nthereof and shall direct that the child's medical history, heritage of\nthe birth parents, which shall include nationality, ethnic background\nand race; education, which shall be the number of years of school\ncompleted by the birth parents at the time of the birth and also at the\ntime of surrender of the adoptive child; general physical appearance of\nthe birth parents at the time of the birth and also at the time of\nsurrender of the adoptive child, which shall include height, weight,\ncolor of hair, eyes, skin; occupation of the birth parents at the time\nof the birth and also at the time of surrender of the adoptive child;\nhealth and medical history of the birth parents at the time of the birth\nand also at the time of surrender of the adoptive child, including all\navailable information setting forth conditions or diseases believed to\nbe hereditary, any drugs or medication taken during the pregnancy by the\nchild's mother; and any other information which may be a factor\ninfluencing the child's present or future health, including the talents,\nhobbies and special interests of the birth parents as contained in the\npetition, be furnished to the adoptive parents, the commissioner and the\nappropriate local registrar of vital statistics. If the judge or\nsurrogate is also satisfied that there is no reasonable objection to the\nchange of name proposed, the order shall direct that the name of the\nadoptive child be changed to the name stated in the agreement of\nadoption and that henceforth he or she shall be known by that name. All\nsuch orders made by a family court judge of Westchester county since\nSeptember first, nineteen hundred sixty-two, and on file in the office\nof the county clerk of such county shall be transferred to the clerk of\nthe family court of such county. Such order and all the papers in the\nproceeding shall be filed in the office of the court granting the\nadoption and the order shall be entered in books which shall be kept\nunder seal and which shall be indexed by the name of the adoptive\nparents and by the full original name of the child. Such order,\nincluding orders heretofore entered, shall be subject to inspection and\nexamination only as hereinafter provided. Notwithstanding the fact that\nadoption records shall be sealed and secret, they may be microfilmed and\nprocessed pursuant to an order of the court, provided that such order\nprovides that the confidentiality of such records be maintained. If the\nconfidentiality is violated, the person or company violating it can be\nfound guilty of contempt of court. The fact that the adoptive child was\nborn out of wedlock shall in no case appear in such order. The written\nreport of the investigation together with all other papers pertaining to\nthe adoption shall be kept by the judge or surrogate as a permanent\nrecord of his or her court and such papers must be sealed by him or her\nand withheld from inspection. No certified copy of the order of adoption\nshall issue unless authorized by court order, except that certified\ncopies may issue to the agency or agencies in the proceeding prior to\nthe sealing of the papers. Be

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