SB 64

Current law requires the Department of Children and Families (DCF), a county

department of human services or social services (county department), or a child

welfare agency to include in a child's permanency plan, which is a plan designed to

ensure that the child quickly attains a placement or home providing long-term

stability, a statement as to the availability of a safe and appropriate placement for

the child with a foster parent, adoptive parent, or proposed adoptive parent of a

sibling of the child. Current law also requires DCF, a county department, or a child

welfare agency, before placing for adoption a child who has a sibling who has been

adopted or has been placed for adoption, to consider the availability of a placement

for adoption with an adoptive parent or proposed adoptive parent of a sibling of the

child who is identified in the child's permanency plan or who is otherwise known by

DCF, the county department, or the child welfare agency.

This bill permits records and papers pertaining to an adoption proceeding to be

disclosed for purposes of determining the availability of a placement for a child with

an adoptive parent or proposed adoptive parent of a sibling of the child. Currently,

those records and papers must be kept in a separate locked file and may not be

disclosed except under certain exceptions or by order of the court assigned to exercise

jurisdiction under the Children's Code for good cause shown.