2015 Oregon Revised Statutes
Volume : 10 - Highways, Military, Juvenile Code, Human Services
Chapter 418 - Child Welfare Services
Section 418.270 - Surrender of child to private child-caring agency; consent to adoption; time for adoption proceedings; effect of release and surrender.

(1) If licensed for such purposes by the Department of Human Services, a private child-caring agency may receive children from their parents or legal guardians for special, temporary or continued care. The parents or guardians may sign releases or surrenders giving to such agencies guardianship and control of the persons of such children during the period of such care, which may be extended until the children arrive at legal age. Such releases do not surrender the rights of such parents or guardians in respect to the adoption of such children and do not entitle such organization to give consent to the adoption of the children unless the release or surrender expressly recites that it is given for the purpose of adoption. Private child-caring agencies are authorized to place children for adoption or foster care only if authorized by the department in the license issued by the department.

(2) Any entire severance of family ties of such children by adoption or otherwise shall be accomplished only by the order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

(3) In the absence of the certificate provided for in subsection (4) of this section, it is unlawful to present a child surrendered to an agency by a parent, parents or guardian for a court to pass upon the adoption of the child until at least six months have elapsed after signing the surrender.

(4) Parents or legal guardians of children whom they have by release or surrender agreement given into the guardianship of incorporated child-caring agencies for the purpose of adoption may, concurrently or subsequently and without any adoption proceeding having been initiated, agree that the release or surrender shall become irrevocable as soon as the child is placed by the agency in the physical custody of a person or persons for the purpose of adoption by them, and waive their right to personal appearance in court in matters of adoption of such children, by a duly signed and attested certificate. From and after such physical placement for adoption such certificate of irrevocability and waiver and the release or surrender may not be revoked by the parent or guardian unless fraud or duress is affirmatively proved.

(5) No agreement to release or surrender a child for adoption, or other agreement or waiver of rights having the same effect, executed before March 24, 1971, in connection with the surrender of a child into the guardianship of a child-caring agency for purposes of adoption, may be revoked or held invalid for any reason except upon affirmative proof of fraud or duress.

[Formerly 419.128; 1971 c.26 §1; 1975 c.310 §7; 1983 c.510 §10]