2011 Missouri Revised Statutes
TITLE XXX DOMESTIC RELATIONS
Chapter 453 Adoption and Foster Care
Section 453.080. Hearing--decree--contact or exchange of identifying information between adopted person and birth or adoptive parent not to be denied, when.

453.080. 1. The court shall conduct a hearing to determine whether the adoption shall be finalized. During such hearing, the court shall ascertain whether:

(1) The person sought to be adopted, if a child, has been in the lawful and actual custody of the petitioner for a period of at least six months prior to entry of the adoption decree; except that the six-month period may be waived if the person sought to be adopted is a child who is under the prior and continuing jurisdiction of a court pursuant to chapter 211 and the person desiring to adopt the child is the child's current foster parent. "Lawful and actual custody" shall include a transfer of custody pursuant to the laws of this state, another state, a territory of the United States, or another country;

(2) The court has received and reviewed a postplacement assessment on the monthly contacts with the adoptive family pursuant to section 453.077, except for good cause shown in the case of a child adopted from a foreign country;

(3) The court has received and reviewed an updated financial affidavit;

(4) The court has received the recommendations of the guardian ad litem and has received and reviewed the recommendations of the person placing the child, the person making the assessment and the person making the postplacement assessment;

(5) There is compliance with the uniform child custody jurisdiction act, sections 452.440 to 452.550;

(6) There is compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act, if applicable;

(7) There is compliance with the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children pursuant to section 210.620; and

(8) It is fit and proper that such adoption should be made.

2. If a petition for adoption has been filed pursuant to section 453.010 and a transfer of custody has occurred pursuant to section 453.110, the court may authorize the filing for finalization in another state if the adoptive parents are domiciled in that state.

3. If the court determines the adoption should be finalized, a decree shall be issued setting forth the facts and ordering that from the date of the decree the adoptee shall be for all legal intents and purposes the child of the petitioner or petitioners. The court may decree that the name of the person sought to be adopted be changed, according to the prayer of the petition.

4. Before the completion of an adoption, the exchange of information among the parties shall be at the discretion of the parties. Upon completion of an adoption, further contact among the parties shall be at the discretion of the adoptive parents. The court shall not have jurisdiction to deny continuing contact between the adopted person and the birth parent, or an adoptive parent and a birth parent. Additionally, the court shall not have jurisdiction to deny an exchange of identifying information between an adoptive parent and a birth parent.

(RSMo 1939 9613, A.L. 1947 V. II p. 213, A.L. 1985 H.B. 366, et al., A.L. 1997 H.B. 343, A.L. 1998 H.B. 1918 merged with S.B. 674, A.L. 2001 S.B. 348)

Prior revisions: 1929 14078; 1919 1100

Annotation Copyright Missouri Joint Committee on Legislative Research