Probate and Family Court Uniform Practices  Uniform Probate Court Practice X: Plan of adoption required in petitions to establish consent

In an uncontested adoption, filed pursuant to Chapter 210, Section 3, requiring the submission of a plan, the Department of Social Services or other agency shall submit to the Court at the time of allowance a written report. The report shall consist of:

a. The name, date of birth and age of the child who is the subject of the proceeding.

b. The name(s), current address(es), and age(s) of the biological/legal parents, to the extent the information is available.

c. History of legal actions including the present action; Date of petition, Return date, how notice was accomplished, if a valid surrender was filed and by whom, that the petition was uncontested.

d. Brief background on the fitness, availability, capacity and readiness of parents to assume parental responsibility for the child; Acts of neglect, emotional/ physical/sexual abuse, psychiatric/psychological evaluations, interactions and attachments between parents and child, and the timetable, if any, when parent(s) will be able to assume the care and custody of the child and the effect of this change on the minor.

e. The needs of the child.

The agency's plan for the child upon the release of the required parental consent. A plan that elaborates in detail what steps the agency plans to employ to find a suitable adoptive parent may be deemed sufficient without further specificity.

(1989) The amendment to Uniform Practices X requires a detailed plan be submitted to the court in uncontested matters.