Source: https://answers.uslegal.com/minors/placement-with-relatives/40613/
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 10:43:16+00:00

Document:
The issue of relatives adopting is not addressed in Rhode Island statutes. The laws do address placing a foster child with relatives as provided in statute: § 40-11-12.2.
(a) At every regularly scheduled family court review and/or permanency hearing of any child found to be abused or neglected under § 40-11-12 or dependent under § 14-1-34, the department shall present a written reunification and/or permanency plan to the court for approval. The plan shall include whether, and if applicable when, the child will be returned to the parent, placed for adoption, referred for legal guardianship, placed with a fit and willing relative, or (in cases whether the department can show the court compelling reasons why the foregoing placements or referrals would not be in the child's best interests) placed in another planned permanent living arrangement. The plan shall clearly set forth the goals and obligations of the department, parent(s), child and all other parties. The plan may be approved and/or modified by a justice of the family court and incorporated into the orders of the court, at the discretion of the court.
(b) In determining reasonable efforts to be made with respect to a child, and in making such reasonable efforts, the child's health and safety shall be the paramount concern.
(ii) To make it possible for a child to safely return to the child's home.
(d) If continuation of reasonable efforts of the type described in subsection (c) is determined to be inconsistent with the permanency plan for the child, reasonable efforts shall be made to place the child in a timely manner in accordance with the permanency plan, and to complete whatever steps are necessary to finalize the permanent placement of the child.
(iii) The parental rights of the parent to a sibling have been terminated involuntarily.
(g) Reasonable efforts to place a child for adoption or with a legal guardian may be made concurrently with reasonable efforts of the type described in subsection (c).
(h) In the case of a child with respect to whom the permanency plan is adoption or placement in another permanent home, the permanency plan shall include documentation of the steps the department is taking to find an adoptive family or other permanent living arrangement for the child, to place the child with an adoptive family, a fit and willing relative, a legal guardian, or in another planned permanent living arrangement, and to finalize the adoption or legal guardianship. At a minimum, such documentation shall include child specific recruitment efforts such as the use of state, regional, and national adoption exchanges including electronic exchange systems. The department shall not act, or fail to act, to deny or delay placement of a child for adoption when an approved family is available outside of Rhode Island and no other prospective pre-adoptive home is available.
History. P.L. 1992, ch. 206, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 309, § 1; P.L. 1998, ch. 87, §3.

References: § 40
 § 40
 § 14
 § 1
 § 1
 §3