Section 8604 Of Chapter 1. General Provisions From California Family Law Code >> Division 13. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 1.
8604
. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), a child having a
presumed father under Section 7611 shall not be adopted without the
consent of the child's birth parents, if living. The consent of a
presumed father is not required for the child's adoption unless he
became a presumed father as described in Chapter 1 (commencing with
Section 7540) or Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 7570) of Part 2
of Division 12, or subdivision (a), (b), or (c) of Section 7611
before the mother's relinquishment or consent becomes irrevocable or
before the mother's parental rights have been terminated.
(b) If one birth parent has been awarded custody by judicial
order, or has custody by agreement of both parents, and the other
birth parent for a period of one year willfully fails to communicate
with, and to pay for, the care, support, and education of the child
when able to do so, then the birth parent having sole custody may
consent to the adoption, but only after the birth parent not having
custody has been served with a copy of a citation in the manner
provided by law for the service of a summons in a civil action that
requires the birth parent not having custody to appear at the time
and place set for the appearance in court under Section 8718, 8823,
8913, or 9007.
(c) Failure of a birth parent to pay for the care, support, and
education of the child for the period of one year or failure of a
birth parent to communicate with the child for the period of one year
is prima facie evidence that the failure was willful and without
lawful excuse. If the birth parent or parents have made only token
efforts to support or communicate with the child, the court may
disregard those token efforts.
(d) (1) If the birth mother of a child for whom there is not a
presumed father leaves the child in the physical care of a licensed
private adoption agency, in the physical care of a prospective
adoptive parent who has an approved preplacement evaluation or
private agency adoption home study, or in the hospital after
designating a licensed private adoption agency or an approved
prospective adoptive parent in a signed document, completed with a
hospital social worker, adoption service provider, licensed private
adoption agency worker, notary, or attorney, but fails to sign a
placement agreement, consent, or relinquishment for adoption, the
approved prospective adoptive parent or the licensed private adoption
agency may apply for, and the court may issue, a temporary custody
order placing the child in the care and custody of the applicant.
(2) A temporary custody order issued pursuant to this subdivision
shall include all of the following:
(A) A requirement that the applicant keep the court informed of
the child's residence at all times.
(B) A requirement that the child shall not be removed from the
state or concealed within the state.
(C) The expiration date of the order, which shall not be more than
six months after the order is issued.
(3) A temporary custody order issued pursuant to this subdivision
may be voided upon the birth mother's request to have the child
returned to her care and custody.