§ 480-3. Screening of family members.

A. 

Screening shall include but not be limited to the following:

(1) 

Fingerprinting.

(2) 

Review of criminal convictions and pending criminal actions.

(3) 

Inquiry on persons 18 years or older with the statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment.

B. 

The Department shall be responsible for conducting the above screening process, and, in addition, any criminal history record (CHR) reply supplied by the State of New York Division of Criminal Justice Services shall be received and reviewed by the Department consistent with provisions of New York State Executive Law § 296. Any person disqualified from the Department's foster care or adoptive program due solely or in part to the Department's review of the criminal history record supplied by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services shall have the right to appeal the disqualification by contacting New York State and conducting a record review and challenge.

C. 

A foster-care family must have all the adult members of the household over the age of 18 fingerprinted at the time it makes application to become a foster-care family. An adoptive family, when it registers for adoptive placement, must have fingerprints made of all members of the household over 18 years of age. Any such foster-care family or adoptive family is authorized to have the required fingerprinting conducted by an appropriate County agency or department.

D. 

The Commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Social Services shall review all fingerprinting records for foster-care and adoptive families. If this review or the screening required by Subsection A of this section results in a finding that such persons have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor which, in the judgment of the Commissioner of the Department, endangers the health, safety, physical and mental well-being of the recipient of foster-care services or jeopardizes the adoptive placement, the Commissioner will not proceed with the finalization of the foster-care or adoptive placement.