In Connecticut, each adoption matter shall be instituted by filing an application in a Court of Probate, together with the written agreement of adoption, in duplicate. One of the duplicates shall be sent immediately to the Commissioner of Children and Families.
The application shall incorporate a declaration that to the best of the knowledge and belief of the declarant there is no other proceeding pending or contemplated in any other court affecting the custody of the child to be adopted, or if there is such a proceeding, a statement in detail of the nature of the proceeding and affirming that the proposed adoption would not conflict with or interfere with the other proceeding.
The court shall not proceed on any application which does not contain such a declaration. The application shall be signed by one or more of the parties to the agreement, who may waive notice of any hearing on it. For the purposes of this declaration, visitation rights granted by any court shall not be considered as affecting the custody of the child.
An application for the adoption of a minor child not related to the adopting parents shall not be accepted by the Court of Probate unless
- the child sought to be adopted has been placed for adoption by the Commissioner of Children and Families or a child-placing agency, and the placement for adoption has been approved by the commissioner or a child-placing agency;
- the placement requirements of this section have been waived by the Adoption Review Board;
- the application is for adoption of a minor child by a stepparent; or
- the application is for adoption of a child by another person who shares parental responsibility for the child with the parent.
The commissioner or a child-placing agency may place a child in adoption who has been identified or located by a prospective parent, provided any such placement shall be made in accordance with regulations promulgated by the commissioner. If any such placement is not made in accordance with such regulations, the adoption application shall not be approved by the Court of Probate.
The Court of Probate shall request the commissioner or a child-placing agency to make an investigation and written report to it, in duplicate, within sixty days from the receipt of such request. A duplicate of the report shall be sent immediately to the Commissioner of Children and Families.
The report shall be filed with the Court of Probate within the sixty-day period. The report shall indicate the physical and mental status of the child and shall also contain such facts as may be relevant to determine whether the proposed adoption will be in the best interests of the child, including the physical, mental, genetic and educational history of the child and the physical, mental, social and financial condition of the parties to the agreement and the biological parents of the child, if known, and whether the best interests of the child would be served. The report shall include a history of physical, sexual or emotional abuse suffered by the child, if any. The report may set forth conclusions as to whether or not the proposed adoption will be in the best interests of the child.
The adoptive parents are entitled to receive copies of the records and other information relating to the history of the child maintained by the commissioner or child-placing agency. The adoptive parents are entitled to receive copies of the records, provided if required by law, the copies have been edited to protect the identity of the biological parents and any other person whose identity is confidential and other identifying information relating to the history of the child. It is the duty of the person placing the child for adoption to edit, to the extent required by law, the records and information to protect the identity of the biological parents and any other person whose identity is confidential.
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