(a) Any county may perform the home-finding and placement functions, to investigate, examine, and make reports upon petitions for adoption filed in the superior court, to act as a placement agency in the placement of children for adoption, to accept relinquishments for adoption, and to perform such other functions in connection with adoption as the department deems necessary, or to do any of them. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize a county adoption agency, as provided in subdivision (d), to provide intercountry adoption services.
(b) Notwithstanding any other law, a county adoption agency performing the functions specified in subdivision (a) may contract for services described in subdivision (a) from any licensed private adoption agency that the private adoption agency is licensed to provide pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 1500) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code. A licensed county adoption agency may also contract for services described in subdivision (a) from any out-of-state licensed public or private adoption agency that is licensed pursuant to the laws of that state. Any services contracted for shall substantially meet the standards and criteria established in California adoption regulations as determined by the licensed county adoption agency. These services shall be contracted for in order to facilitate adoptive placement of a specified category of children for whom the licensed county adoption agency has determined it cannot provide adequate services.
(c) Counties that elect not to provide the adoption services specified in subdivision (a) may contract with the department or another county adoption agency to provide those services.
(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 35, Sec. 103. (SB 1013) Effective June 27, 2012.)