Search for substitute care placements among relatives; notices to parents and certain relatives. (1) If the Department of Human Services places a child or ward in substitute care, the department shall immediately begin searching for potential substitute care placements from among the relatives of the child or ward

(2) If the department places a child or ward with a person who is not the child’s relative, when conducting the search under this section, the department shall provide written notification to the parents and any relative identified by the department as a potential placement resource or prospective adoptive parent that the nonrelative foster parent will have equal status or priority under ORS 109.270 and 419B.192 as a prospective adoptive parent if the nonrelative foster parent cares for the child or ward, or at least one sibling of the child or ward, for at least 12 cumulative months or, if the child, ward or sibling is younger than two years of age, for one-half of the child’s, ward’s or sibling’s life, calculated cumulatively. [2023 c.291 §2]