Title 14 Children

14-6-705. Parental rights; voluntary termination.

(a) Where any parent or Indian custodian voluntarily consents to a shelter care placement or the termination of parental rights involving an Indian child, the consent shall not be valid unless executed in writing and recorded before a court of competent jurisdiction and accompanied by the court's certification that the terms and consequences of the consent were fully explained in detail and were fully understood by the parent or Indian custodian. The court shall also certify that either the parent or Indian custodian fully understood the explanation in English or that it was interpreted into a language that the parent or Indian custodian understood. Any consent under this subsection given prior to or within ten (10) days after the birth of the Indian child shall not be valid. (b) Any parent or Indian custodian may withdraw consent to a shelter care placement at any time. Upon withdrawal of consent under this subsection, the Indian child shall be returned to the parent or Indian custodian. (c) In any voluntary proceeding for the relinquishment and consent to adoption of an Indian child, the consent of the parent may be withdrawn for any reason at any time before the entry of a final decree of termination or adoption and, upon the withdrawal of consent, the child shall be returned to the parent. (d) After the entry of a final decree of adoption of an Indian child in any state court, the parent shall only withdraw consent upon the grounds that the consent was obtained through fraud or duress and may petition the court to vacate the adoption decree on those grounds. Upon finding that the consent was obtained through fraud or duress, the court shall vacate the adoption decree and return the child to the parent. No adoption that has been effective for at least two (2) years shall be invalidated under this subsection unless otherwise permitted by state law.