2013 Mississippi Code
Title 43 - PUBLIC WELFARE
Chapter 15 - CHILD WELFARE
Article 1 - ADMINISTRATION OF CHILD WELFARE
§ 43-15-19 - Adoption resource exchange registry

(1) The State Department of Public Welfare shall maintain a Mississippi Adoption Resource Exchange registry, which shall contain a total listing of all children freed for adoption as well as a listing of all persons who wish to adopt children and who are approved by a licensed adoption agency in the State of Mississippi. Said registry shall be distributed to all county welfare directors and licensed adoption agencies within the state and shall be updated at least quarterly. The State Department of Public Welfare shall establish regulations for listing descriptive characteristics while protecting the privacy of the children's names. Listed names shall be removed when adoption placement plans are made for a child or when a person withdraws an application for adoption.

(2) Adoptive parents shall be given the option of having their names placed in the registry. They shall be required to give written authority to the county welfare department to place their names in the registry and said authorization shall be forwarded to the state department of public welfare, division of social services, for approval.