STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1167
2011-2012 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 5, 2011
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CLARK, SCARBOROUGH, ROBINSON -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Children and Families
AN ACT to amend the social services law and the domestic relations law,
in relation to the provision of information on post-adoption services
to adoptive parents
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 372-b of the social services law is amended by
2 adding a new subdivision 4 to read as follows:
3 4. a. Each local social services district shall create and keep
4 current a resource guide describing available local, and to the extent
5 practicable, regional post-adoption services, whether provided directly
6 by the district or by a non-governmental entity, including a description
7 of services, location and contact information for each applicable
8 service provider, noting that the district is not responsible for costs
9 that they would not otherwise provide. Such services may include, but
10 shall not be limited to, respite, counseling, mental health, support
11 groups and other services the district deems appropriate in order to
12 foster and maintain permanency. Such resource guide shall be provided to
13 adoptive parents in the applicable family court during, or prior to, the
14 final adoption proceeding.
15 b. The resource guide shall be made available to the family court by
16 means included but not limited to e-mail, fax, or hard copy so as to
17 guarantee that the family court will have continued access to such docu-
18 ment and the finalization of the adoption will not be impeded.
19 § 2. Section 112 of the domestic relations law is amended by adding a
20 new subdivision 9 to read as follows:
21 9. The rules of the court shall require that prior to the granting of
22 the order of adoption, the presiding judge or surrogate shall ensure
23 that the adoptive parent or parents have received information on the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01552-02-1
A. 1167 2
1 availability and location of post-adoption services in accordance with
2 section three hundred seventy-two-b of the social services law. Failure
3 to provide the resource guide shall not delay the proceeding or affect
4 the validity of the adoption.
5 § 3. Section 115 of the domestic relations law is amended by adding a
6 new subdivision 14 to read as follows:
7 14. The rules of the court shall require that prior to the granting of
8 the order of adoption, the presiding judge or surrogate shall ensure
9 that the adoptive parent or parents have received information on the
10 availability and location of post-adoption services in accordance with
11 section three hundred seventy-two-b of the social services law. Failure
12 to provide the resource guide shall not delay the proceeding or affect
13 the validity of the adoption.
14 § 4. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
15 have become a law.
