§ 373-a. Medical histories. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, to the extent they are available, the medical histories of a child legally freed for adoption or of a child to be placed in foster care and of his or her birth parents, with information identifying such birth parents eliminated, shall be provided by an authorized agency to such child's prospective adoptive parent or foster parent and upon request to the adoptive parent or foster parent when such child has been adopted or placed in foster care. To the extent they are available, the medical histories of a child in foster care and of his or her birth parents shall be provided by an authorized agency to such child when discharged to his or her own care and upon request to any adopted former foster child; provided, however, medical histories of birth parents shall be provided to an adoptee with information identifying such birth parents eliminated. Such medical histories shall include all available information setting forth conditions or diseases believed to be hereditary, any drugs or medication taken during pregnancy by the child's birth mother and any other information, including any psychological information in the case of a child legally freed for adoption or when such child has been adopted, or in the case of a child to be placed in foster care or placed in foster care which may be a factor influencing the child's present or future health. The department shall promulgate and may alter or amend regulations governing the release of medical histories pursuant to this section.

Terms Used In N.Y. Social Services Law 373-A

  • Authorized agency: means

    (a) Any agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization which is incorporated or organized under the laws of this state with corporate power or empowered by law to care for, to place out or to board out children, which actually has its place of business or plant in this state and which is approved, visited, inspected and supervised by the office of children and family services or which shall submit and consent to the approval, visitation, inspection and supervision of such office as to any and all acts in relation to the welfare of children performed or to be performed under this title; provided, however, that on and after June first, two thousand seven, such term shall not include any for-profit corporation or other for-profit entity or organization for the purposes of the operation, management, supervision or ownership of agency boarding homes, group homes, homes including family boarding homes of family free homes, or institutions which are located within this state;

    (b) Any court or any social services official of this state authorized by law to place out or to board out children or any Indian tribe that has entered into an agreement with the department pursuant to section thirty-nine of this chapter;

    (c) Any agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization which is not incorporated or organized under the laws of this state, placing out a child for adoption whose admission to the United States as an eligible orphan with non-quota immigrant status pursuant to the federal immigration and nationality act is sought for the purpose of adoption in the State of New York or who has been brought into the United States with such status and for such purpose, provided, however, that such agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization is licensed or otherwise authorized by another state to place out children for adoption, that such agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization is approved by the department to place out such children with non-quota immigrant status for adoption in the State of New York, and provided further, that such agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization complies with the regulations of the department pertaining to such placements. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
  • Child: means a person actually or apparently under the age of eighteen years;

    2. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
  • Foster parent: shall mean any person with whom a child, in the care, custody or guardianship of an authorized agency, is placed for temporary or long-term care, and "foster child" shall mean any person, in the care, custody or guardianship of an authorized agency, who is placed for temporary or long-term care. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
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