Minnesota Administrative Rules
Agency 196 - Human Services Department
Chapter 9560 - SOCIAL SERVICES FOR CHILDREN
ADOPTION
Part 9560.0020 - DEFINITIONS

Subpart 1. Adoptive home.

"Adoptive home" means a home approved by an authorized child-placing agency for the purpose of placing a child for adoption.

Subp. 2. Authorized child-placing agency.

"Authorized child-placing agency" means the local social service agency or any agency licensed to place children by the commissioner or by a comparable authority in the state or country in which the agency exists.

Subp. 3. Child.

"Child" means an individual under 18 years of age.

Subp. 3a. Commissioner.

"Commissioner" means the commissioner of the Department of Human Services.

Subp. 4. Foster family home.

"Foster family home" means a family home licensed to provide 24-hour-a-day care to children who are unrelated to the family.

Subp. 5. Birth parent.

"Birth parent" means an individual who is referred to as the child's birth parent, who is named in the child's original birth record as a parent, whose claim to genetic parenthood is unchallenged, or whose genetic parenthood is established by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Subp. 6. Independent placement.

"Independent placement" means a proposed or actual nonagency placement of a child by a parent or unlicensed third party with persons not related to the child within the third degree.

Subp. 7. Infant.

"Infant" means a child under the age of 15 months.

Subp. 8. Licensed child-placing agency.

"Licensed child-placing agency" means an agency authorized by the commissioner to place children for foster care or adoption.

Subp. 9. Local social service agency.

"Local social service agency" means the local agency under the authority of the local social services agency or human service board responsible for arranging and providing social services to individuals.

Subp. 9a. [Repealed, 29 SR 1367]

Subp. 10. Placing agency.

"Placing agency" means the Minnesota licensed child-placing agency which has guardianship of a child from a Minnesota court or the local social service agency which has financial and adoptive planning responsibility for a ward of the commissioner of human services. A placing agency may also include a supervisory agency which is providing adoptive planning services for the child.

Subp. 11. Postplacement services.

"Postplacement services" means social services provided to the child and the adoptive parents from the time of placement until legal adoption.

Subp. 12. Postadoption services.

"Postadoption services" means social services provided after legal adoption to the adoptive parents, birth parents, or adopted individuals.

Subp. 13. Relative.

"Relative" means an individual who is related to a child within the third degree according to the civil table of consanguinity by blood, marriage, or adoption as a parent, stepparent, brother, sister, grandparent, great grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew.

Subp. 14. State adoption exchange.

"State adoption exchange" means the central adoptive home and child registration service operated by the Minnesota Department of Human Services' adoption unit for use by authorized child-placing agencies.

Subp. 15. State agency.

"State agency" means the commissioner of human services or the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

Subp. 16. Subsidized adoption.

"Subsidized adoption" means an adoption in which an agreement provides that financial assistance shall be made to the adoptive parents, subsequent guardian, or conservator because of special needs of a child who is certified as eligible for subsidy.

Subp. 17. Suitability study.

"Suitability study" means the preadoptive counseling and subsequent evaluation made by the authorized child-placing agency to determine whether or not the proposed adoptive home can adequately parent and meet the social, educational, and health needs of a particular child.