Maine Revised Statutes, Title 18-C, § 9-403: Administration, 2017

1. Written agreement before final decree; exceptions; reduction in payments. A written agreement between an applicant entering into the program and the department must precede the final decree of adoption, except that an application may be filed subsequent to the finalization of the adoption if there were facts relevant to the child's eligibility that were not presented at the time of the request for assistance or if the child was eligible for participation in the program at the time of placement and the adoptive parents were not informed of the program. Except as provided by section 9‑401, subsection 8, once an adoption assistance payment is agreed upon and the agreement signed by the prospective adoptive parents, the department may not reduce the adoption assistance payment amounts. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).] 2. Annual determination. [PL 2023, c. 567, §1 (RP).] 3. Transfer to legal guardian; new agreement. Upon the death of all adoptive parents, adoption assistance under the program may be transferred to the legal guardian as long as the child continues to be eligible for adoption assistance pursuant to the terms of the most recent adoption assistance agreement with the adoptive parents. The department shall enter into a new assistance agreement with the legal guardian. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]