Section 727.31.

(a) This section applies to all minors placed in out-of-home care pursuant to Section 727.2 or 727.3 and for whom the juvenile court orders a hearing to consider permanently terminating parental rights to free the minor for adoption.

Except for subdivision (j) of Section 366.26, the procedures for permanently terminating parental rights for minors described by this section shall proceed exclusively pursuant to Section 366.26.

At the beginning of any proceeding pursuant to this section, if the minor is not being represented by previously retained or appointed counsel, the court shall appoint counsel to represent the minor, and the minor shall be present in court unless the minor or the minor's counsel so requests and the court so orders. If a parent appears without counsel and is unable to afford counsel, the court shall appoint counsel for the parent, unless this representation is knowingly and intelligently waived. The same counsel shall not be appointed to represent both the minor and the parent. Private counsel appointed under this section shall receive a reasonable sum for compensation and expenses as specified in subdivision (f) of paragraph (3) of Section 366.26.

(b) Whenever the court orders that a hearing pursuant to this section shall be held, it shall direct the agency supervising the minor and the county adoption agency, or the State Department of Social Services when it is acting as an adoption agency, to prepare an assessment that shall include all of the following:

(1) Current search efforts for an absent parent or parents.

(2) A review of the amount and nature of any contact between the minor and his or her parents and other members of his or her extended family since the time of placement. Although the extended family of each minor shall be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, "extended family" for the purpose of the paragraph shall include, but not be limited to, the minor's siblings, grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

(3) An evaluation of the minor's medical, developmental, scholastic, mental, and emotional status.

(4) A preliminary assessment of the eligibility and commitment of any identified prospective adoptive parent or guardian, particularly the caretaker, to include a social history, including screening for criminal records and prior referrals for child abuse or neglect, the capability to meet the minor's needs, and the understanding of the legal and financial rights and responsibilities of adoption and guardianship. If a proposed guardian is a relative of the minor, the assessment shall also consider, but need not be limited to, all of the factors specified in subdivision (a) of Section 361.3 and Section 361.4.

(5) The relationship of the minor to any identified prospective adoptive parent or guardian, the duration and character of the relationship, the degree of attachment of the child to the prospective relative guardian or adoptive parent, the relative's or adoptive parent's strong commitment to caring permanently for the child, the motivation for seeking adoption or guardianship, a statement from the minor concerning placement and the adoption or guardianship, and whether the minor, if over 12 years of age, has been consulted about the proposed relative guardianship arrangements, unless the minor's age or physical, emotional, or other condition precludes his or her meaningful response, and if so, a description of the condition.

(6) An analysis of the likelihood that the minor will be adopted if parental rights are terminated.

(c) A relative caregiver's preference for legal guardianship over adoption, if it is due to circumstances that do not include an unwillingness to accept legal or financial responsibility for the child, shall not constitute the sole basis for recommending removal of the child from the relative caregiver for purposes of adoptive placement. A relative caregiver shall be given information regarding the permanency options of guardianship and adoption, including the long-term benefits and consequences of each option, prior to establishing legal guardianship or pursuing adoption.

(d) If at any hearing held pursuant to Section 366.26, a legal guardianship is established for the minor with an approved relative caregiver and juvenile court dependency is subsequently dismissed, the minor shall be eligible for aid under the Kin-GAP Program, as provided for in Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 11360) or Article 4.7 (commencing with Section 11385), as applicable, of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9.

(e) For purposes of this section, "relative" means an adult who is related to the child by blood, adoption, or affinity within the fifth degree of kinship, including stepparents, stepsiblings, and all relatives whose status is preceded by the words "great," "great-great," or "grand," or the spouse of any of those persons, even if the marriage was terminated by death or dissolution.

(f) Whenever the court orders that a hearing pursuant to procedures described in this section be held, it shall order that the county adoption agency, or the State Department of Social Services when it is acting as an adoption agency, has exclusive responsibility for determining the adoptive placement and making all adoption-related decisions.

(g) If the court, by order of judgment declares the minor free from the custody and control of both parents, or one parent if the other does not have custody and control, the court shall at the same time order the minor referred to the State Department of Social Services when it is acting as an adoption agency or a county adoption agency for adoptive placement by the agency. The order shall state that responsibility for custody of the minor shall be held jointly by the probation department and the State Department of Social Services when it is acting as an adoption agency or the county adoption agency. The order shall also state that the State Department of Social Services when it is acting as an adoption agency or the county adoption agency has exclusive responsibility for determining the adoptive placement and for making all adoption-related decisions. However, no petition for adoption may be granted until the appellate rights of the natural parents have been exhausted.

(h) The notice procedures for terminating parental rights for minors described by this section shall proceed exclusively pursuant to Section 366.23.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 35, Sec. 63. Effective June 27, 2012.)