Sec.45a-728-8. Permissible payments by prospective adoptive parents and/or child placing agencies involved in identified placements

In addition to the payments by the prospective adoptive parents to the child placing agency in accordance with its fee schedule on file with the department, the payments listed below shall also be permitted. The child placing agency shall be required to investigate and offer to both the prospective adoptive parents and the birth parents possible alternative sources for payment of all of the permitted expenses listed here. No payment shall be made directly to the birth parent, to any relative by blood or marriage, to any cohabitor nor to anyone on their behalf by the prospective adoptive parents. All payments by the prospective adoptive parents, or anyone on their behalf, must be transmitted to the child placing agency for distribution. In no event may payments by the child placing agency to or on behalf of the birth parent(s) exceed the following:

(a) Living Expenses of Birth Mother

Payment for living expenses of a birth mother by the prospective adoptive parents shall be permitted in an amount not to exceed one thousand five hundred dollars or such amount as may be approved in unusual circumstances by the probate court responsible for such adoption. In addition to the payment of living expenses, payment by the prospective adoptive parents of reasonable telephone and maternity clothing expenses of the birth mother shall be permitted.

(b) Transportation, Lodging, Food Expenses

(1) Birth parent. Payment for transportation, lodging and food costs for a birth parent incurred as a direct result of effecting or attempting to effect the placement with a child placing agency of a child for adoption shall be permitted at a cost not to exceed round trip coach fare on a common carrier from and to the birth parent's established place of residence, plus necessary related connecting transportation and reasonable and necessary lodging and food costs.

(2) Agency Representative. Payment for expenses of transportation, lodging and food costs for a child placing agency representative incurred as a direct result of activities customarily engaged in by child placing agencies including but not limited to expenses incurred as a direct result of effecting or attempting to effect the placement of a child for adoption shall be permitted at a cost not to exceed round trip coach fare from and to the agency representatives' established place of employment on a common carrier plus necessary related connecting transportation, and reasonable and necessary lodging and food costs.

(c) Counseling Expenses

Payment for up to twelve (12) hours of birth parent counseling expenses shall be permitted for each birth parent at rates not to exceed regional fee scales compiled by Family Service America for such counseling. Such rates shall be on file with the Commissioner and kept current. The permissible payment of expenses for birth parent counseling shall include the transportation costs to and from counseling for the birth parent.

(d) Foster Care Expenses

Payment for necessary foster care expenses for the child, who is to be adopted, in a licensed, approved or certified foster home shall be permitted at reasonable and prevailing rates where the foster home is located.

(e) Maternity Home Expenses

Payment for a birth mother's expenses in a licensed or governmental-approved maternity home for not longer than sixty (60) days shall be permitted.

(f) Medical Expenses

The cost of pre-natal medical care related to the pregnancy for the birth mother and for delivery and medical expenses of the newborn may be paid. Payments for such services shall not exceed established and generally accepted reasonable and prevailing rates in the community in which the child is born. No payment for medical expenses of birth mothers incurred more than thirty (30) days after delivery shall be made except that payment may be made for one post-partum check up visit after such thirty (30) day period.

(Effective December 22, 1994)