CA AB2845

Requires courts to consider a parent's entire criminal record (without timeline limitations) when determining parental unfitness in proceedings to declare a child free from parental custody and control, rather than only considering specific prior convictions.

Expands the investigation and reporting requirements for proceedings affecting parental rights to include social workers from county child welfare departments and requires investigators to provide a specific recommendation on whether granting or denying the petition serves the child's best interest.

Extends postadoption contact agreement protections to include nonrelative extended family members in addition to birth relatives, and requires courts to grant postadoption contact privileges absent a specific finding that the privileges are not in the child's best interests.

Establishes procedures for retroactively entering postadoption contact agreements that were executed but not approved by the court before adoption finalization, and authorizes courts to award attorney's fees and damages against adoption agencies or petitioners who fail to comply with filing requirements.

Imposes state-mandated local program requirements on county agencies regarding investigation, reporting, and filing duties related to parentage proceedings and postadoption contact agreements.