N.Y. Social Services Law § 372-b: Adoption services

§ 372-b. Adoption services. 1. a. A prospective adoptive parent shall

have a right to a fair hearing pursuant to section twenty-two of this

chapter concerning the failure of a social services official to provide

adoption services authorized to be provided pursuant to this section and

the state's consolidated services plan. At the time a child is placed

in a prospective adoptive home, the prospective adoptive parent shall be

notified in writing of his or her right to such fair hearing.

b. Each social services official shall provide, either directly or

through purchase of service, adoption services for each child in their

care who is freed for adoption. Such adoption services shall include

the evaluation of a child's placement needs and pre-placement planning,

recruitment of and homestudy for prospective adoptive parents, training

of adoptive parents, placement planning, supervision and post adoption

services.

2. The department shall promulgate regulations which shall require

that adoption services be made available to all children who are listed

with the New York state adoption service. Such regulations shall also

provide for cooperation between local social services commissioners, and

for apportioning reimbursement for adoption services where more than one

agency or social services district has provided such services for a

child.

2-a. The department shall promulgate regulations requiring all

adoption agencies to forward names and addresses of all persons who have

applied for adoption of a hard-to-place or handicapped child, as defined

in section four hundred fifty-one of this chapter. A list of such names

and addresses shall be maintained by the department and made available,

without charge, to every agency in the state to assist them in placing

such children for adoption.

3. The department shall promulgate regulations to maintain

enlightened adoption policies and to establish standards and criteria

for adoption practices.