SB 1060 Summary

• Requires county adoption agencies to convene meetings with children, siblings, prospective adoptive parents, and facilitators to negotiate voluntary postadoption sibling contact agreements before adoption finalization, unless doing so would endanger the child's safety or the child objects.

• Allows children to petition the court to compel the county agency to hold such a meeting, with the court able to deny the petition only if it finds by preponderance of the evidence that the agreement or meeting would harm the child's safety and well-being.

• Expands court review requirements to include inquiry into the status of postadoption sibling contact agreement development at the first review hearing for children ordered placed for adoption after parental rights termination.

• Requires juvenile courts to specify the nature and frequency of visiting arrangements between siblings in permanent placement orders for minors with continuing family involvement.

• Establishes that reimbursement for state-mandated local program costs is only required to the extent the state provides annual funding for increases above the 2011 Realignment baseline.