An Act to amend the act of April 22, 1944, which regulates the placement of children in family homes in the District of Columbia
PL 83-393 (H.R.7062), enacted 06/08/1954

246 
PUBLIC LAW 393-JUNE 8, 1954 
[68 STAT. 
the names of the adopters and shall then cause to be sealed and filed 
the original birth certificate with the certified copy of the final decree 
of adoption, and such sealed package shall be opened only by order 
of a court of competent jurisdiction. 
(c) If the birth of the adoptee occurred outside the District the 
clerk of the court shall, upon petition by the adoptor, furnish him 
with a certified copy of the final decree of adoption. 
(d) When an adoption in the District occurred prior to August 25, 
1937, the court shall, upon presentation of a motion by a party to the 
proceedings, order the clerk of the court to seal the records in such 
proceeding and upon presentation of a certified copy of said order the 
Commissioners shall cause to be made a new record of the birth in the 
new name and with the names of the adoptors and shall then cause 
to be sealed and filed the original birth certificate with the order of 
the court, and such sealed package shall be opened only by order of 
the court. 
MEANING OF THE TERM " C H I L D " 
SEC, 17. The term "child" or its equivalent in a deed, grant, will, or 
other written instrument shall, in the District, be held to include any 
adopted person, unless the contrary plainly appears bv the terms 
thereof, whether or not such instrument was executed before or after 
the entry of the interlocutory decree of adoption, if any, or before or 
after the final decree of adoption became effective. 
REPEAL AND SAVINGS PROVISIONS 
SEC. 18. (a) Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of this sec-
tion, the Act entitled "An Act to regulate proceedings in adoption in 
the District of Columbia", approved August 25, 1937, as amended 
50 Stat. 806. 
(16 D. C. Code, ch. 2), is repealed. 
(b) The provisions of this Act shall have no retroactive effect except 
to the extent that they specifically so provide and shall not be con-
strued as affecting in any way the rights and relations obtained by any 
decree of adoption entered prior to the date of the enactment of this 
Act, and all proceedings instituted and pending on the date of the 
enactment of this Act shall be carried to their final determination in 
accordance with the Act repealed by the preceding subsection, and all 
orders and decrees entered therein shall remain valid and binding on 
all parties thereby affected. 
(c) If any provisions of this Act, or the applicability thereof to any 
person or set of circumstances, is held invalid, the remainder of this 
Act and the applicability thereof to other persons and sets of circum-
stances shall not thereby be affected. 
Approved June 8, 1954. 
Public Law 393 
CHAPTER 273 
June 8. 1954 
^ N ACT 
[H. R. 7062] 
To amend the Act of April 22, 1944, which regulates the placement of children 
in family homes in the District of Columbia. 
D. C. 
c h i l d 
placement in fani' 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That section 3 of 
iiy homes. "' "* " the Act entitled "An Act to regulate the placing of children in family 
homes, and for other purposes", approved April 22, 1-944 (32 D. C. 
58 Stat. 193. 
Code, scc. 783), is amended to read as follows: 
68 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 393-JUNE 8, 1954 
247 
"SEC. 3. Within sixty days after the date of the enactment of sec-
tion 12 of this Act, the Commissioners shall appoint, after consulta-
tion with the Department of Public Welfare, a committee to formulate 
and adopt rules and regulations, subject to the approval of the Com-
missioners, prescribing standards of placement, care, and services to 
be required of child-placing agencies, pursuant to the intent and pur-
poses of this Act. The committee shall be composed of two repre-
sentatives of the Department of Public Welfare of the District of 
Columbia, one of whom shall act as chairman, a member of the staff 
of the Department of Health of the District of Columbia, two repre-
sentatives from each of the charitable organizations of the District 
of Columbia licensed to place children in family homes, a member of 
the legal profession, and a member of the medical profession. 
The 
terms of office of each member of the committee shall be three years, 
except that— 
"(1) the terms of office of the members first taking office shall 
expire, as designated by the Commissioners at the time of appoint-
ment, approximately one-third at the end of one year, approxi-
mately one-third at the end of two years, and approximately one-
third at the end of three years, after the date of the enactment of 
section 12; 
"(2) any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior 
to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was 
appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of such term; 
and 
"(3) upon the expiration of his term of office a member shall 
continue to serve until his successor is appointed and has qualified. 
The rules and regulations prescribing standards of placement, care, 
and services to be required of child-placing agencies shall be reviewed 
by the committee annually and, subject to the approval of the Com-
missioners, may be amended when deemed necessary." 
SEC. 2. The last paragraph of section 4 of such Act is amended by 
striking out "from the date of the passage of this Act". 
SEC. 3. The last paragraph of section 5 of such Act is amended to 
read as follows: 
"Kecords which are deemed confidential shall not be available for 
inspection by nor disclosed to any person, firm, corporation, associa-
tion, or public agency, except that such records shall be available for 
inspection by authorities authorized by law to license child-placing 
agencies. Such records shall not be subject to judicial subpena in col-
lateral proceedings, except that the licensed child-placing agency and 
the Commissioners, in accordance with rules and regulations promul-
gated hereunder, may make such records, or any information con-
tained in such records, available (1) when the Commissioners or such 
agency determines that any information contained in such records 
shall promote or protect the interest and welfare of any child the 
Commissioners or such agency has served, and (2) for the purpose of 
research if adequate safeguards are taken against the disclosure or 
publication in any manner of the identity of any person contained 
in such records." 
SEC. 4. Such Act is amended by inserting immediately after sec-
tion 5 the follow^ing new section: 
"SEC. 5 A . Notwithstanding the provisions of this Act, the Com-
missioners are authorized to enter into agreements with any person, 
firm, corporation, association, or public agency licensed or authorized 
by a State or country for the care and placement of minors, permitting 
such person, firm, corporation, association, or public agency to place 
Committee to 
formulate stand-
ards, etc. 
Terms of office. 
D. 
784* 
D. 
785. 
C, Code 32-
C, Code 32-
Confidential 
records. 
N o nres ident 
children* 
248 
PUBLIC LAW 393-JUNE 8, 1954 
[68 
S T A T . 
D. 
783. 
D. C. 
786. 
C. Code 32-
Code 32-
Service charges. 
Restrictions. 
D. 
783. 
C. Code 32-
Effective date. 
nonresident children in foster or adopting homes in the District of 
Columbia. The Commissioners shall act pursuant to regulations pro-
mulgated as provided in section 3 of this Act." 
SEC, 5. (a) Section 6 of such Act is amended by striking out the 
second sentence thereof and inserting in lieu thereof the following 
new sentence: "Minority of a natural parent shall not be a bar to such 
parent's relinquishment to a licensed agency. 
Any relinquishment 
of parental rights other than by court order as provided above, may 
be revoked upon the written consent of all the parties to said relin-
quishment and any such relinquishment may be transferred from one 
licensed child-placing agency to another licensed 
child-placing 
agency, in which case the second agency shall assume all the rights 
and duties of the first agency. 
For the purposes of this section, 
'licensed child-placing agency' shall mean any child-placing agency 
licensed pursuant to this Act or any child-placing agency licensed or 
authorized by another State or country for the care and placement of 
minors. Such transfer or relinquishment shall be filed in the Office 
of the Clerk of the United States District Court for the District of 
Columbia, as hereinafter provided in this section." 
(b) Section 6 of such Act is further amended by inserting " ( a ) " 
after "SEC. 6." and by adding at the end thereof the following new 
subsection: 
"(b) The Commissioners or their designated agents are empowered 
to accept permanent care and guardianship of any child by a legally 
executed relinquishment of parental rights and when vested with such 
parental rights shall exercise them in the same manner as prescribed 
herein for a licensed child-placing agency. Such parental relinquish-
ment taken by the Commissioners or their designated agents shall be 
subject to the same rights and requirements as to form, transfer, and 
disposition as are prescribed herein for a licensed child-placing 
agency." 
SEC. 6. Such Act is amended by adding at the end thereof the fol-
lowing new section: 
"SEC. 12. Neither the Commissioners nor any child-placing agency 
authorized to perform services in connection with placing a child in 
a family home for adoption may make or receive any charge or com-
pensation whatsoever for such services, except that a licensed child-
placing agency which is organized and operated exclusively for reli-
gious or charitable purposes and no part of the net earnings of which 
can inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, may 
be allowed to charge adoptive parents, within prescribed limits, for 
such services an amount not to exceed the average costs incurred; 
such average costs and prescribed limits to be determined in accord-
ance with rules and regulations promulgated by the committee created 
by section 3. Inability of adoptive applicants to pay for all or any 
part of such costs shall not be a disqualifying factor in determining 
w^hether applicants are suitable parents for the child." 
SEC. 7. The amendments made by this Act shall take effect four 
months after the date of its enactment, except that the amendment 
made by the first section shall take effect on the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
Approved June 8, 1954.