Staff must continue to complete adoption related activities throughout the 90 days following termination of parental rights. However, an adoption cannot be consummated until 90 days following termination of parental rights, to allow all relatives 90 days to file suit.

If the biological parents have filed an appeal of the termination of parental rights, the child is not legally free for adoption. The child cannot be placed in an adoptive placement or have an adoption consummated. In these situations, a legal-risk placement may be appropriate if CPS has selected a prospective adoptive family for a child. See 6938 Legal Risk Adoptive Homes for details about legal-risk placements.

See:

6944 Completing the Placement

6954 Consummating the Adoption