Montana § 42-3-202 - Initiation Of Preplacement Evaluation -- Who Conducts Evaluation -- Payment Of Fees

§ 42-3-202. Initiation Of Preplacement Evaluation -- Who Conducts Evaluation -- Payment Of Fees

Initiation of preplacement evaluation -- who conducts evaluation -- payment of fees. (1) A prospective adoptive parent who wishes to adopt a child may initiate the process by: (a) establishing a client relationship with the department or a licensed child-placing agency; or (b) requesting a preplacement evaluation from the department, a licensed social worker, or a licensed child-placing agency. (2) In a direct parental placement adoption, the preplacement evaluation must be conducted by either a licensed social worker or a licensed child-placing agency. (3) The prospective adoptive parent and the home of the prospective adoptive parent must be studied and evaluated according to the provisions of this part. (4) A department or agency from which an individual is seeking to adopt a child may require the individual to be evaluated by its own qualified employee or independent contractor even if the individual has received a favorable preplacement evaluation from another evaluator. (5) Fees for the study and report are set by the entity completing them and must be paid for by the prospective adoptive parent.