Purposes

The purpose of this Article is to protect and promote the welfare of children, natural parents and adoptive parents and thereby promote the welfare of Guam. To this end, the following basic safeguards are provided herein:

(a)that the child is legally free for adoption;

(b)that the natural parents’ consent to the adoption or that the parent-child relationship has been terminated by judicial decree;

(c)that the child is placed in a proposed adoptive home by the Division of Children’s Wellness or an adoption agency duly licensed under Guam law, except in adoptions by close relatives;

(d)required social studies and consideration of the reports of these studies by the court prior to judgment on adoption petitions;

(e)a period of time for the child to live within the proposed adoptive home under the guidance of the Division of Children’s Wellness;

(f)new birth certificates following adoption decrees;

(g)authority of the court to order temporary substitute care for children found in unsuitable homes; and

(h)confidentiality of records. COL 6/21/2023 CH. 4 PARENT AND CHILD