Section 309.120  Preparation of the Child's Biological Parents

Preparation of the biological parents of a child for whom an adoptive placement is being sought includes the following:

a)         assistance and counseling around issues pertaining to the surrender of parental rights or consent to adoption by a specified person, or in understanding the reasons why, after reunification efforts have been attempted and failed or deemed to be inappropriate, involuntary termination of parental rights is being sought;

b)         in instances where the identity of the biological father is unknown, counseling the biological mother about her role and responsibility regarding the identification of the father as required in the Adoption Act [750 ILCS 50/11(b)] and explaining the potential consequences if the biological father is not identified;

c)         counseling around issues of separation and loss;

d)         obtaining necessary non-identifying background information regarding the biological family's social, medical, and psychological history, as well as the prenatal and medical history of the child;

e)         affording the biological parents the opportunity to share identifying and non-identifying information with the child who is being relinquished for adoption through the Adoption Registry as specified in Section 309.190, Adoption Registry;

f)         giving the biological parents the opportunity to express their desires regarding the placement of their child in an adoptive home which meets their religious and other preferences.  The Department will consider the parents' stated preferences, provided they do not delay placement of the child for adoption, are not contrary to the child's best interests, are consistent with applicable law such as the Adoption Act [750 ILCS 50], the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (42 USCA 670 et seq.), and the Removal of Barriers to Inter-Ethnic Adoptions Provisions of the Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996 (42 USCA 671(a) and 674) and Adoption and Safe Families Act (P.L. 105-98);

g)         providing information regarding the possibility of continuing contact between the child and the biological parents or other significant persons in the child's life, when such contact is in the child's best interests and compatible with the wishes of the adoptive parents.