OAR 413-120-0750: Recruitment Efforts

(1) The Department must begin recruitment for the child or sibling group in a timely manner that is appropriate to each child's permanency and concurrent permanent plans. (2) The Department may consider up to three general applicants as adoptive resources for a child or sibling group. (3) Except as provided in section (4) of this rule, the Department's recruitment efforts may not consider the race, color, or national origin of a potential adoptive resource or a child. (4) When recruiting potential adoptive resources for an Indian child, the Department must comply with the ICWA and OAR 413-115-0090. (5) When a child is not fully legally free for adoption, the legal assistance specialist must: (a) Determine when recruitment may begin; (b) Determine whether recruitment may begin for a child with extraordinary needs before the Department initiates the process to legally free the child for adoption; and (c) Notify the caseworker to begin recruitment efforts. (6) As part of the identification of general applicants who will be considered in the adoption placement selection process, the child's caseworker must conduct recruitment activities including, at a minimum, ensuring a Waiting Child Bulletin has been posted, for at least 30 days, unless one or more of the following subsections applies: (a) An exception to this timeline has been approved by the Assistant Child Permanency Program Manager or designee. (b) The Department has determined, under OAR 413-070-0514, an individual known to the child or sibling group should be assessed as a potential adoptive resource, based upon all of the following: (A) The best interest of each child. (B) The strength of the relationship between each child and the individual. (C) The likelihood the individual will have a positive adoption home study and meet the requirements of OAR 413-120-0246(1). (D) The demonstrated knowledge, skills, abilities, and commitment of the individual to raise each child. (E) The capacity of the individual to meet the current and lifelong safety, attachment, and well-being needs of the child as required by OAR 413-070-0640. (7) Recruitment activities under section (6) of this rule are not required when: (a) The Department has planned for the child or sibling group to be adopted by a relative of at least one of the siblings; (b) The Department has planned for the child or sibling group to be adopted by a current caretaker; or (c) In the case of an Indian child, alone or as part of a sibling group, the Department has planned for adoption by an identified potential adoptive resource meeting the order of placement preference in the ICWA and OAR 413-115-0090. (8) The recruitment efforts of the Department for a child or sibling group must be documented in the Department's electronic information system.