Providing Adoptive Parents With Information About Adoptees and Their Birth Families - New Jersey

Agency or Person Preparing the Report

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 9:3-41.1

An approved agency making an investigation of the facts and circumstances surrounding the surrender of a child shall provide a prospective parent with all available information.

Contents of Report About the Adopted Person

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 9:3-41.1

The report shall include all available nonidentifying information relevant to the child's development, including his or her developmental and medical history, personality, and temperament.

Contents of Report About the Birth Family

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 9:3-41.1

The report shall include all available nonidentifying information, including the following:

• The parents' complete medical histories, including conditions or diseases that are believed to be hereditary
• Any drugs or medications taken during pregnancy
• Any other conditions of the parents' health that may be a factor influencing the child's present or future health

When the Report Is Made

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 9:3-41.1

This information shall be made available to the prospective parent prior to the actual adoptive placement to the extent available and supplemented upon the completion of an investigation conducted by an approved agency pursuant to § 9:3-48.

Exceptions for Stepparent or Relative Adoptions

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.