{"data":{"id":"us-mt/42-4-205","jurisdiction":"us-mt","citation":"42-4-205","heading":"Waiting period following placement of child.","body":"(1) Once the department or agency has received custody of the child and placed the child for adoption, the department or agency shall supervise and evaluate the placement during a 6-month postplacement evaluation period.\n(2) The department or agency may recommend in the postplacement evaluation filed with the petition for adoption that the court issue a decree of adoption sooner than the 6-month postplacement evaluation period if:\n(a) (i) a period of at least 6 months has elapsed since the department or agency placed the child in the prospective adoptive home; and\n(ii) the department or agency has completed a postplacement evaluation during that period; or\n(b) (i) a postplacement evaluation has been completed and filed with the court; and\n(ii) there are detailed extenuating circumstances supporting a waiver of the 6-month postplacement evaluation period.\n(3) The department or an agency may recommend the waiver of the 6-month postplacement evaluation period and the postplacement evaluation if the adoptee has been in the petitioner's home as a foster child for at least 1 year.","path":["TITLE 42. ADOPTION","CHAPTER 4. PLACEMENTS FOR ADOPTION","Part 2. Placements by Department or Licensed Child-Placing Agency"],"source_url":"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0420/chapter_0040/part_0020/section_0050/0420-0040-0020-0050.html","current_through":"Montana Code Annotated 2025","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T04:55:18Z","sha256":"fe40bfcf12e286bd9e12fa5c01c46a37612f5fa8c00699fee6f2b76170436cc2","source_id":"us-mt","stale":false,"prev":"us-mt/42-4-204","next":"us-mt/42-4-206"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}