9:3-41.1 Provision of available information on child's development to prospective parent.


9:3-41.1  Provision of available information on child's development to prospective parent.
 
      1. a. 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, other than information which would identify or permit the identification of the birth parent of the child, relevant to the child's development, including his developmental and medical history, personality and temperament, the parent's complete medical histories, including conditions or diseases which are believed to be hereditary, any drugs or medications taken during pregnancy and any other conditions of the parent's health which may be a factor influencing the child's present or future health.  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 section 12 of P.L.1977, c.367 (C.9:3-48). 

      b.      The available information required of an approved agency by subsection a. of this section shall be presented to the adoptive parents on standardized forms prepared by the Commissioner of Children and Families. 

      L.1979, c.292, s.1; amended 1993, c.345, s.4; 2006, c.47, s.37.
 
9:3-42.      Jurisdiction in Chancery, venue 
    6.   An action for adoption shall be instituted in the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Family Part of the county in which the prospective parent resides, or in the county where the child resided immediately prior to placement for adoption, or if the child is less than three months of age, the county in which the child was born; except that whenever the child to be adopted has been received into the home of a prospective parent from an approved agency, the action may be instituted in the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Family Part of any county in which the approved agency has an office. 

   L.1977,c.367,s.6; amended 1991,c.91,s.193; 1993,c.345,s.5. 
 
9:3-43.      Instituting adoption actions; qualifications 
    7.  a.  Any person may institute an action for adoption except that a married person may do so only with the written consent of his spouse or jointly with his spouse in the same action or if living separate and apart from his spouse. 

   b.   A plaintiff, at the time of the institution of the action, shall have attained the age of 18 years and shall be at least 10 years older than the child to be adopted, except that the court for good cause may waive either requirement, which waiver shall be recited in any judgment of adoption thereafter entered. 

   L.1977,c.367,s.7; amended 1993,c.345,s.6.