The interstate compact on the placement of children is enacted into law and entered into with all other jurisdictions legally joining therein in form substantially as follows:

INTERSTATE COMPACT ON THE PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN

The contracting states solemnly agree:

ARTICLE I — Purpose and Policy

It is the purpose and policy of the party states to cooperate with each other in the interstate placement of children to the end that:

    (a) Each child requiring placement shall receive the maximum opportunity to be placed in a suitable environment and with persons or institutions having appropriate qualifications and facilities to provide a necessary and desirable degree and type of care.

    (b) The appropriate authorities in a state where a child is to be placed may have full opportunity to ascertain the circumstances of the proposed placement, thereby promoting full compliance with applicable requirements for the protection of the child.

    (c) The proper authorities of the state from which the placement is made may obtain the most complete information on the basis of which to evaluate a projected placement before it is made.

    (d) Appropriate jurisdictional arrangements for the care of children will be promoted.

ARTICLE II — Definitions

As used in this compact:

    (a) "Child" means a person who, by reason of minority, is legally subject to parental, guardianship, or similar control.

    (b) "Sending agency" means a party state, or officer or employee thereof; a subdivision of a party state, or officer or employee thereof; a court of a party state; a person, corporation, association, charitable agency, or other entity which sends, brings, or causes to be sent or brought any child to another party state.

    (c) "Receiving state" means the state to which a child is sent, brought, or caused to be sent or brought, whether by public authorities or private persons or agencies, and whether for placement with state or local public authorities or for placement with private agencies or persons.

    (d) "Placement" means the arrangement for the care of a child in a family free or boarding home or in a child-caring agency or institution but does not include any institution caring for the mentally ill, mentally defective, or epileptic or any institution primarily educational in character, and any hospital or other medical facility.

ARTICLE III — Conditions for Placement

(1) No sending agency shall send, bring, or cause to be sent or brought into any other party state any child for placement in foster care or as a preliminary to a possible adoption unless the sending agency shall comply with each and every requirement set forth in this article and with the applicable laws of the receiving state governing the placement of children therein.

    (2) Prior to sending, bringing, or causing any child to be sent or brought into a receiving state for placement in foster care or as a preliminary to a possible adoption, the sending agency shall furnish the appropriate public authorities in the receiving state written notice of the intention to send, bring, or place the child in the receiving state. The notice shall contain:

    (a) The name, date, and place of birth of the child.

    (b) The identity and address or addresses of the parents or legal guardian.

    (c) The name and address of the person, agency, or institution to or with which the sending agency proposes to send, bring, or place the child.

    (d) A full statement of the reasons for such proposed action and evidence of the authority pursuant to which the placement is proposed to be made.

    (3) Any public officer or agency in a receiving state which is in receipt of a notice pursuant to subsection (2) of this article may request of the sending agency, or any other appropriate officer or agency of or in the sending agency's state, and shall be entitled to receive therefrom, such supporting or additional information as it may deem necessary under the circumstances to carry out the purpose and policy of this compact.

    (4) The child shall not be sent, brought, or caused to be sent or brought into the receiving state until the appropriate public authorities in the receiving state shall notify the sending agency, in writing, to the effect that the proposed placement does not appear to be contrary to the interests of the child.

ARTICLE IV — Penalty for Illegal Placement

The sending, bringing, or causing to be sent or brought into any receiving state of a child in violation of the terms of this compact shall constitute a violation of the laws respecting the placement of children of both the state in which the sending agency is located or from which it sends or brings the child and of the receiving state. Such violation may be punished or subjected to penalty in either jurisdiction in accordance with its laws. In addition to liability for any such punishment or penalty, any such violation shall constitute full and sufficient grounds for the suspension or revocation of any license, permit, or other legal authorization held by the sending agency which empowers or allows it to place, or care for children.

ARTICLE V — Retention of Jurisdiction

(1) The sending agency shall retain jurisdiction over the child sufficient to determine all matters in relation to the custody, supervision, care, treatment, and disposition of the child which it would have had if the child had remained in the sending agency's state, until the child is adopted, reaches majority, becomes self-supporting, or is discharged with the concurrence of the appropriate authority in the receiving state. Such jurisdiction shall also include the power to effect or cause the return of the child or its transfer to another location and custody pursuant to law. The sending agency shall continue to have financial responsibility for support and maintenance of the child during the period of the placement. Nothing contained herein shall defeat a claim of jurisdiction by a receiving state sufficient to deal with an act of delinquency or crime committed therein.

    (2) When the sending agency is a public agency, it may enter into an agreement with an authorized public or private agency in the receiving state providing for the performance of 1 or more services in respect of such case by the latter as agent for the sending agency.

    (3) Nothing in this compact shall be construed to prevent a private charitable agency authorized to place children in the receiving state from performing services or acting as agent in that state for a private charitable agency of the sending state; nor to prevent the agency in the receiving state from discharging financial responsibility for the support and maintenance of a child who has been placed on behalf of the sending agency without relieving the responsibility set forth in subsection (1) of this article.

ARTICLE VI — Institutional Care of Delinquent Children

A child adjudicated delinquent may be placed in an institution in another party jurisdiction pursuant to this compact but no such placement shall be made unless the child is given a court hearing on notice to the parent or guardian with opportunity to be heard, prior to his or her being sent to such other party jurisdiction for institutional care and the court finds that:

    (a) Equivalent facilities for the child are not available in the sending agency's jurisdiction; and

    (b) Institutional care in the other jurisdiction is in the best interest of the child and will not produce undue hardship.

ARTICLE VII — Compact Administrator

The executive head of each jurisdiction party to this compact shall designate an officer who shall be general coordinator of activities under this compact in the officer's jurisdiction and who, acting jointly with like officers of other party jurisdictions, shall have power to promulgate rules and regulations to carry out more effectively the terms and provisions of this compact.

    This compact shall not apply to:

ARTICLE VIII — Limitations

(a) The sending or bringing of a child into a receiving state by the child's parent, stepparent, grandparent, adult brother or sister, adult uncle or aunt, or the child's guardian and leaving the child with any such relative or nonagency guardian in the receiving state.

    (b) Any placement, sending, or bringing of a child into a receiving state pursuant to any other interstate compact to which both the state from which the child is sent or brought and the receiving state are party, or to any other agreement between said states which has the force of law.

ARTICLE IX — Enactment and Withdrawal

This compact shall be open to joinder by any state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and, with the consent of Congress, the government of Canada or any province thereof. It shall become effective with respect to any such jurisdiction when such jurisdiction has enacted the same into law. Withdrawal from this compact shall be by the enactment of a statute repealing the same, but shall not take effect until 2 years after the effective date of such statute and until written notice of the withdrawal has been given by the withdrawing state to the governor of each other party jurisdiction. Withdrawal of a party state shall not affect the rights, duties, and obligations under this compact of any sending agency therein with respect to a placement made prior to the effective date of withdrawal.

ARTICLE X — Construction and Severability

The provisions of this compact shall be liberally construed to effectuate the purposes thereof. The provisions of this compact shall be severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence, or provision of this compact is declared to be contrary to the constitution of any party state or of the United States or the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person, or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this compact and the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person, or circumstance shall not be affected thereby. If this compact shall be held contrary to the constitution of any state party thereto, the compact shall remain in full force and effect as to the remaining states and in full force and effect as to the state affected as to all severable matters.

    

     Financial responsibility for a child placed pursuant to the interstate compact on the placement of children shall be determined in accordance with Article V of the compact in the first instance. However, in the event of partial or complete default of performance thereunder, Act No. 8 of the Public Acts of 1952, being sections 780.151 to 780.174 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, may be invoked.

     As used in the interstate compact on the placement of children:

    (a) "Appropriate public authorities" with reference to this state means the department of social services and that department shall receive and act with reference to notices required by Article III of the compact.

    (b) "Appropriate authority in the receiving state" with reference to this state means the director of social services.

    (c) "Executive head" with reference to this state means the governor, who may appoint a compact administrator in accordance with Article VII of the compact.

     The officers and agencies of this state and its subdivisions having authority to place children may enter into agreements with appropriate officers or agencies of or in other party states pursuant to subsection (2) of Article V of the interstate compact on the placement of children. An agreement which contains a financial commitment or imposes a financial obligation on this state or a subdivision or agency of this state shall not be binding unless it has the approval in writing of the state budget officer in the case of the state and of the chief local fiscal officer in the case of a subdivision of the state.

     A placement made into this state pursuant to the interstate compact on the placement of children for the purpose of adoption shall be in compliance with section 51(4) of chapter X of Act No. 288 of the Public Acts of 1939, being section 710.51 of the Michigan Compiled Laws. Accordingly, the making of such a placement by a sending agency of or in another state party to the compact shall constitute a discharge of the child within the meaning of subsection (1) of Article V of the compact and a concurrence therein by any and all concerned persons or agencies in this state. The appropriate authorities in this state shall not furnish a sending agency in another state with a notice pursuant to subsection (4) of Article III of the compact to the effect that the placement does not appear to be contrary to the interests of the child until it is ascertained that section 51(4) of chapter X of Act No. 288 of the Public Acts of 1939, will be promptly satisfied.

     The requirements of section 115c of Act No. 280 of the Public Acts of 1939, being section 400.115c of the Michigan Compiled Laws, for study of the intended home and for supervision of the placement shall apply to placements made pursuant to the interstate compact on the placement of children. However, the approval or other action by a judge of probate shall not be required unless the placement is in contemplation of an adoption.

     A court having jurisdiction to place delinquent children may place the child in an institution of or in another state pursuant to Article VI of the interstate compact on the placement of children and shall retain jurisdiction as provided in Article V of the compact.