| Minn. Stat. § 259.29
Minnesota
Statutes
Public Welfare and Related Activities (Ch. 245-267)
Chapter
259. Change of Name, Adoption Adoption
259.29. Protection
of best interests in adoptive placements
Subdivision
1. Best interests of the child.
(a) The policy of the state of Minnesota is to ensure that the best interests
of the child are met by requiring individualized determination of the
needs of the child and of how the adoptive placement will serve the needs
of the child.
(b)
Among the factors the agency shall consider in determining the needs of
the child are those specified under section 260C.193, subdivision 3, paragraph
(b).
Subd.
2. Placement with relative or friend.
The authorized child-placing agency
shall consider placement, consistent with the child's best interests and
in the following order, with (1) a relative or relatives of the child,
or (2) an important friend with whom the child has resided or had significant
contact. In implementing this section, an authorized child-placing agency
may disclose private or confidential data, as defined in section 13.02,
to relatives of the child for the purpose of locating a suitable adoptive
home. The agency shall disclose only data that is necessary to facilitate
implementing the preference.
If the child's birth parent
or parents explicitly request that placement with relatives or important
friends not be considered, the authorized child-placing agency shall honor
that request consistent with the best interests of the child.
If the child's birth parent
or parents express a preference for placing the child in an adoptive home
of the same or a similar religious background to that of the birth parent
or parents, the agency shall place the child with a family that meets
the birth parent's religious preference.
This
subdivision does not affect the Indian Child Welfare Act, United States
Code, title 25, sections 1901 to 1923, and the Minnesota Indian Family
Preservation Act, sections 260.751 to 260.835.
CREDIT(S)
Amended by Laws 1996,
c. 416, § 10, eff. April 3, 1996; Laws 1997, c. 86, § 9, eff.
May 7, 1997; Laws 1999, c. 139, art. 4, § 2.
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