§ 15-7.2-1 - Definitions.
SECTION 15-7.2-1
§ 15-7.2-1 Definitions. – As used in this chapter:
(1) "Adoptee" means a person who has been adopted in thestate of Rhode Island.
(2) "Adoption" means the judicial act of creating therelationship of parent and child where it did not exist previously.
(3) "Adoptive parent" means an adult who has become a parentof a child through adoption.
(4) "Adult" means a person twenty-one (21) years of age orolder.
(5) "Agency" means any public or private organizationlicensed or authorized under the laws of this state to place children foradoption.
(6) "Birth parent" is:
(i) The person who is legally presumed under the laws of thisstate to be the father or mother of genetic origin of a child; and
(ii) A putative father of the child if the birth motheralleges he is the father and the putative father, by written affidavit at anytime or by surrender and release executed within one year of the relinquishmentof the child by the birth mother or termination of parental rights of the birthmother, acknowledges being the child's biological father.
(7) "Court" is family court seating in Providence county.
(8) "Genetic and social history" is a comprehensive report,when obtainable, on the birth parents, siblings to the birth parents, if any,other children of either birth parent, if any, and parents of the birthparents, and contains so much of the following information that is available:
(i) Medical history;
(ii) Health status;
(iii) Cause of and age at death;
(iv) Height, weight, eye and hair color;
(v) Ethnic origins; and
(vi) Religion, if any.
(9) "Health history" is a comprehensive report, whenobtainable, of the child's health status and medical history at the time ofplacement for adoption, including neonatal, psychological, developmental,physiological, and medical care history.
(10) "Passive voluntary adoption reunion registry" is aregistry, which is not authorized to seek registrants out but is authorizedonly to accept voluntary registration from eligible parties as designated inthis chapter.
(11) "Putative father" is a man who, under the laws of thisstate, is not legally presumed to be the father of genetic origin of a child,but who claims or is alleged to be the father of genetic origin of the child.
(12) "Registry" is a passive voluntary adoption reunionregistry as established under this chapter.
(13) "Relevant parties" are only those parties eligible toregister and to use a registry pursuant to § 15-7.2-7.
(14) "Successor agency" is an agency which has the adoptionrecords of another agency because of the merger of the agency and the successoragency or because a former agency has ceased doing business and has given itsadoption records to the successor agency as provided in this chapter.