(a) There is established within the Department of Children and Families a photo-listing service which shall include, but need not be limited to, a book and an electronic format containing a photograph and description of each child to be photo-listed. Such book and its electronic format shall be distributed to all child care and child-placing agencies, as such terms are defined in section 45a-707, and to other organizations concerned with adoption. Such photo-listing service shall recruit adoptive families for children who are legally free for adoption under section 45a-725, and have remained in foster care or institutions for a period of thirty days or more, such thirty days to include any period of foster or institutional care immediately preceding the date on which such child was legally free for adoption. Such photo-listing service may recruit prospective adoptive families for children who are not yet legally free for adoption under section 45a-725, provided the court has approved a permanency plan for adoption pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection (k) of section 46b-129. The Commissioner of Children and Families shall employ under the commissioner's direction and control such persons as the commissioner deems necessary for the effective performance of such photo-listing service.

(b) Under sections 17a-112 and 45a-717, the court may order that a child be photo-listed not later than thirty days after the termination of parental rights as a condition of granting an order of termination of parental rights if the court determines that it is in the best interests of the child. Under subdivision (4) of subsection (k) of section 46b-129, the court may order that a child be photo-listed not later than thirty days after the approval of a permanency plan for adoption if the court determines that it is in the best interest of the child. The court shall not order that a child twelve years of age or older be photo-listed unless the child consents to such photo-listing.

(c) The commissioner shall adopt procedures to implement and maintain the photo-listing service established in this section. Such procedures shall include, but not be limited to, procedures for registration of children with the photo-listing service and format and media selection for presenting photo-listed children to the public. The commissioner shall contract with a nonprofit agency to establish and maintain the photo-listing service in its electronic format.

(P.A. 77-379, S. 1; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; P.A. 00-137, S. 6; P.A. 01-142, S. 9; P.A. 06-102, S. 10; P.A. 14-187, S. 15.)

History: Sec. 17-444 transferred to Sec. 17a-42 in 1991; P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993 (Revisor's note: The words “the department of” in the phrase “commissioner of the department of children and youth services” were deleted editorially by the Revisors to conform with customary statutory usage); P.A. 00-137 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provisions re electronic format and changing eligibility period from three months to 30 days, added new Subsec. (b) re court-ordered photo-listing of child, redesignated former Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c) and amended Subsec. (c) by deleting requirement that photo-listing service be within department and adding provisions requiring commissioner, within available appropriations, to establish, maintain and distribute photo-listing service book and to contract for establishment and maintenance of electronic format; P.A. 01-142 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision permitting photo-listing service to recruit prospective adoptive families for children not free for adoption, provided court has approved permanency plan for adoption, and making technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality and amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision permitting court to order photo-listing of child within 30 days of approval of permanency plan if court determines it is in best interest of child; P.A. 06-102 made technical changes; P.A. 14-187 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing references to regulations with references to procedures, by deleting reference to within available appropriations, by deleting former Subdiv. (1) re establishing, maintaining and distributing photo-listing service book, and by deleting Subdiv. (2) designator, effective June 11, 2014.