§ 16-2360 — Disposition after termination.

(a) If a judge finds that sufficient grounds exist for the termination of the parent and child relationship, the judge shall so order and decree and shall vest the legal custody of the child in a department, agency or institution.

(b) The department, agency or institution to which a child is committed after the termination of the parent and child relationship pursuant to this subchapter shall be responsible for seeking the prompt adoptive placement of the child and, if an adoptive placement has not been made within three (3) months, the department, agency, or institution shall list the child on all appropriate local, regional and national adoption exchanges. If an adoptive placement has not been made within six (6) months of the termination, a hearing shall be held and within every six (6) months thereafter the department, agency or institution shall report to the Division on its efforts to secure an adoptive placement, including but not limited to the following information:

(1) the extent to which an adoption has been explored with the child’s foster parent and any reasons why an adoption by the foster parent is not appropriate;

(2) all adoption exchanges with which the child has been listed and the date of each listing; and

(3) the limitations placed on the families to be considered for the adoption of the child.

(c) The information provided pursuant to subsection (b) shall be provided to the guardian ad litem at least ten (10) days prior to a review hearing.

(d) A notice of a review hearing shall be given as prescribed by rules of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to the child’s guardian ad litem. Any person with whom the child has been living for six (6) months or more shall be given notice of hearings and shall upon his or her request be joined as a party to a review hearing.

(e) If the Division finds that the department, agency or institution vested with the custody of the child is not making sufficient efforts to secure an adoptive placement for the child or that inappropriate limitations have been placed on potential adoptive families, the Division may order such additional efforts as it deems appropriate or may order that the imposition of inappropriate limitations be eliminated or may transfer the power to consent to an adoption together with the vestment of legal custody to any other licensed child placement agency.

Legislative History

Sept. 23, 1977, D.C. Law 2-22, title IV, § 410, 24 DCR 3341