(A) The State Department of Social Services shall establish, either directly or through purchase of services, a statewide adoption exchange with a photograph listing component.
(B) The adoption exchange must be available to serve all authorized, licensed child-placing agencies in the State as a means of recruiting adoptive families for any child who meets one or more of the following criteria:
(1) the child is legally free for adoption;
(2) the child has been permanently committed to the department or to a licensed child-placing agency;
(3) the court system requires identification of an adoptive family for the child before ties to the biological parents are severed;
(4) the department has identified adoption as the child's treatment plan.
(C) The department shall register with the adoption exchange each child in its care who meets any one or more of the above criteria and for whom no adoptive family has been identified. This registration must be made at least thirty days from the determination date of the child's adoptable status and updated at least monthly.
(D) If an adoption plan has not been made within at least three months from the determination date of the child's adoptable status, the department shall provide the adoption exchange with a photograph, description of the child, and any other necessary information for the purpose of recruitment of an adoptive family for the child, including registration with the photograph listing component of the exchange which must be updated monthly. The department shall establish criteria by which a determination may be made that recruitment or photograph listing is not required for a child. The department also shall establish procedures for monitoring the status of children for whom that determination is made.
(E) In accordance with guidelines established by the department, the adoption exchange may accept from licensed child-placing agencies, referrals and registration for recruitment and photograph listing of children meeting the criteria of this section.
(F) The department shall refer appropriate children to regional and national exchanges when an adoptive family has not been identified within one hundred eighty days of the determination of the child's adoptable status. The department shall establish criteria by which a determination may be made that a referral to regional or national exchanges is not necessary, and the department shall monitor the status of those children not referred.
(G) The department shall provide orientation and training to appropriate staff regarding the adoption exchange procedures and utilization of the photograph listing component.
HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 361, Section 2.
Structure South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 63 - South Carolina Children's Code
Section 63-9-20. Legislative purpose.
Section 63-9-40. Jurisdiction; venue.
Section 63-9-50. Children who may be adopted.
Section 63-9-60. Persons who may adopt.
Section 63-9-70. Advertising prohibited to place or accept child for adoption; exception; penalties.
Section 63-9-310. Persons who must give consent or relinquishment.
Section 63-9-320. Persons not required to give consent or relinquishment.
Section 63-9-330. Form and content of consent and relinquishment.
Section 63-9-340. Signing consent and relinquishment.
Section 63-9-350. Withdrawal of consent or relinquishment.
Section 63-9-360. Consent and relinquishment certification.
Section 63-9-370. Adoption of a child in the custody of the Department of Social Services.
Section 63-9-510. Temporary placement and custody of adoptee.
Section 63-9-520. Investigations and reports.
Section 63-9-710. Petition for adoption; use of fictitious names.
Section 63-9-720. Appointment of guardian ad litem.
Section 63-9-730. Notice of adoption proceedings.
Section 63-9-740. Itemized accounting of disbursements.
Section 63-9-750. Final hearing.
Section 63-9-760. Effect of final decree.
Section 63-9-770. Attacks on final orders; appeals.
Section 63-9-780. Confidentiality of hearings and records.
Section 63-9-790. Amended birth certificates.
Section 63-9-810. State interest; purpose of registry.
Section 63-9-910. Foreign adoptions.
Section 63-9-920. Effect of foreign decrees of adoption.
Section 63-9-1110. Adoption by stepparent or relative.
Section 63-9-1120. Adult adoption.
Section 63-9-1310. Declaration of purpose.
Section 63-9-1330. Department of Social Services to administer program.
Section 63-9-1340. Children's Bureau transferred; monitoring placements.
Section 63-9-1350. Department of Social Services to obtain accreditation.
Section 63-9-1360. Birth parent informational brochure; waiting period.
Section 63-9-1370. Adoption services fees.
Section 63-9-1510. Statewide adoption exchange.
Section 63-9-1700. Short title.
Section 63-9-1720. Definitions.
Section 63-9-1730. Program established.
Section 63-9-1740. Notice to adoptive parents.
Section 63-9-1750. Eligibility criteria.
Section 63-9-1760. Eligible children.
Section 63-9-1770. Adoptive parents; nature of supplemental benefits.
Section 63-9-1780. Eligibility for supplemental benefits.
Section 63-9-1790. Review of decisions.
Section 63-9-1800. Benefits to substitute caregivers.
Section 63-9-1810. Authority to promulgate regulations.
Section 63-9-2000. Compact authorized.
Section 63-9-2010. Compact contents.
Section 63-9-2020. Additional provisions.
Section 63-9-2030. Medical assistance identification.
Section 63-9-2040. Compliance with federal law.
Section 63-9-2200. Compact enacted.
Section 63-9-2210. Financial responsibility for children.
Section 63-9-2220. "Appropriate public authorities" defined.
Section 63-9-2230. "Appropriate authority in receiving state" defined.
Section 63-9-2240. Agreements with other compact states.
Section 63-9-2250. Visitation, inspections by agreement.
Section 63-9-2260. Out-of-state placements.
Section 63-9-2270. Placement of delinquent children.
Section 63-9-2280. "Executive head" defined.
Section 63-9-2290. Promulgation of procedures governing interstate adoptive and foster care.