Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, § 4255: Assessments - Article 5, 2007

1. Request for assessment. Prior to sending, bringing or causing a child to be sent or brought into a receiving state, the public child placing agency shall provide a written request for assessment to the receiving state. [PL 2007, c. 255, §6 (NEW).] 2. Sent; brought into receiving state. Prior to the sending, bringing or causing a child to be sent or brought into a receiving state, the private child placing agency shall: A. Provide evidence that the applicable laws of the sending state have been complied with; [PL 2007, c. 255, §6 (NEW).] B. Certify that the consent or relinquishment is in compliance with applicable law of the birth parent's state of residence or, where permitted, the laws of the state of where the finalization of the adoption will occur; [PL 2007, c. 255, §6 (NEW).] C. Request through the public child placing agency in the sending state an assessment to be conducted in the receiving state; and [PL 2007, c. 255, §6 (NEW).] D. Upon completion of the assessment, obtain the approval of the public child placing agency in the receiving state. [PL 2007, c. 255, §6 (NEW).] [PL 2007, c. 255, §6 (NEW).] 3. Procedures for assessment. The procedures for making and requesting an assessment must contain all information and be in such form as provided for in the rules of the interstate commission. [PL 2007, c. 255, §6 (NEW).] 4. Proposed placement. Upon receipt of a request from the public child welfare agency of the sending state, the receiving state shall initiate an assessment of the proposed placement to determine its safety and suitability. If the proposed placement is a placement with a relative, the public child placing agency of the sending state may request a determination of whether the placement qualifies as a provisional placement. [PL 2007, c. 255, §6 (NEW).] 5. Supporting information. The public child placing agency in the receiving state may request from the public child placing agency or the private child placing agency in the sending state, and is entitled to receive, supporting or additional information necessary to complete the assessment. [PL 2007, c. 255, §6 (NEW).] 6. Completion of assessment. The public child placing agency in the receiving state shall complete or arrange for the completion of the assessment within the time frames established by the rules of the interstate commission. [PL 2007, c. 255, §6 (NEW).] 7. Uniform standards. The interstate commission may develop uniform standards for the assessment of the safety and suitability of interstate placements. [PL 2007, c. 255, §6 (NEW).]