CHAPTER 526
S.P. 627 - L.D. 1682
An Act To Support Sibling Rights in Child Welfare Custody Matters
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §4036, sub-§1, ¶F-2 is enacted to read:
F-2. Visitation between the child and a sibling pursuant to section 4068;
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §4068 is enacted to read:
1. Visitation. If the court determines that it is reasonable, practicable and in the best interests of the children involved, the court shall order the custodian of the child who is the subject of the child protection proceeding and any party who is the custodian of a sibling of the child to make the children available for visitation with each other. The court may order a schedule and conditions pursuant to which the visits are to occur.
2. Siblings separated through adoption. The department shall make reasonable efforts to establish agreements with prospective adoptive parents that provide for reasonable contact between an adoptive child and the child's siblings when the department believes that the contact will be in the children's best interests.
3. Request of child. In a child protection proceeding, a child may request visitation rights pursuant to subsection 1 with a sibling from whom the child has been separated as a result of the child protection proceeding.
Effective August 23, 2006.
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