§ 48-3-302. Request for preplacement assessment. - North Carolina Statutes

§48‑3‑302.  Request for preplacement assessment.

(a)        An individualseeking to adopt may request a preplacement assessment at any time by an agencyauthorized by G.S. 48‑1‑109 to prepare preplacement assessments.

(b)        An individualrequesting a preplacement assessment need not have located a prospectiveadoptee when the request is made.

(c)        An individual mayhave more than one preplacement assessment or may request that an assessment,once initiated, not be completed.

(d)        If an individual isseeking to adopt a minor from a particular agency, the agency may require theindividual to be assessed by its own employee, even if the individual hasalready had a favorable preplacement assessment completed by another agency.

(e)        If an individualrequesting a preplacement assessment has identified a prospective adoptivechild and has otherwise been unable to obtain a preplacement assessment, thecounty department of social services must, upon request, prepare or contractfor the preparation of the preplacement assessment. As used in this subsection,"unable to obtain a preplacement assessment" includes the inabilityto obtain a preplacement assessment at the fee the county department of socialservices is permitted to charge the individual. Except as provided in this subsection,no agency is required to conduct a preplacement assessment unless it agrees todo so. (1949, c. 300; 1957, c. 778, s. 2; 1967, c. 880, s. 2;1987, c. 716, s. 1; 1993, c. 539, s. 410; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c);1995, c. 457, s. 2; 1997‑215, s. 15.)