Maryland Administrative Code

.13 Liability Insurance. A. The Administration shall provide liability insurance for treatment foster parents as outlined in COMAR 07.02.25.21. B. The child placement agency shall provide liability insurance as outlined in COMAR 07.02.13.04N(1) and (2).

.14 Appeals. A treatment foster parent aggrieved by a decision of a provider agency has the right to appeal according to COMAR 07.02.02 and 07.02.13.04R.

.15 Evaluation. The agency shall complete and maintain for inspection an annual written evaluation as specified in COMAR 07.02.13.04H(1)—(5).

.01 Purpose. The purpose of a family support center program is to provide parents and their children with a hospitable and constructive environment to provide or coordinate services which: A. Improve parenting skills; B. Develop the family as a functioning unit; and C. Promote th…

.02 Definitions. A. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated. B. Terms Defined. (1) “Administration” means the Social Services Administration of the Department of Human Services as staff to the Subcabinet. (2) “Applicant” means a parent who has applied to …

.03 Eligibility for the Program. Any parent may use the center.

.04 Delivery of Service. A. A center shall provide directly, by purchase or other arrangement, services to include: (1) Parenting skills, parent education classes, and other activities; (2) Health care counselling; (3) Diagnostic and assessment services to identify developmental …

.05 Requirements for a Center. A. Before operating a center, the provider shall submit to the Intermediary a program plan which describes the: (1) Services to be provided; (2) Manner in which the services are provided; (3) Staff to carry out the program and training plans for the…

.06 Records and Reports. A. The center shall maintain: (1) A record of: (a) Attendance at the center, (b) Expenditures to be reimbursed by the designated State fiscal agent, (c) Services provided; and (2) Other records as required by the Administration. B. The Intermediary shall …

.07 Grievance Process. A. The provider shall include in the program plan a description of the grievance system in each center available to parents. B. The grievance system shall include: (1) A written decision to parents by the provider resolving the grievance, and the procedures…

.01 Purpose. A. This chapter establishes the licensing requirements, rights, and responsibilities of resource parents and local departments. B. The primary purposes of these regulations are to: (1) Ensure that local departments place children with resource parents who will provid…

.02 Definitions. A. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated. (1) “Abuse” means: (a) Child abuse as defined in Family Law Article, §5-701, Annotated Code of Maryland; or (b) Sexual abuse of a child as defined in Family Law Article, §5-701, Annotated Code o…

.03 Requirements for Resource Parents and Household Members. A. Applicants. (1) An individual shall apply to become a licensed resource parent at the local department in the jurisdiction where the individual resides. (2) A couple residing together and applying to be licensed reso…

.04 Requirements for Resource Homes. A. Health and Safety. (1) The worker shall assess the home using a home health and safety survey approved by the Administration to ensure that the home meets health and safety standards; and (2) If a worker has concerns about the health and sa…

.05 Limitations on Resource Homes. A. Restrictions. A local department may not permit a resource parent it licenses to: (1) Provide child care unless registered with the Maryland State Department of Education as a child care provider; (2) Be approved to provide child or adult car…

.06 Resource Parent Standards. A. A local department shall license a resource parent who can meet the complex needs of children in care while supporting reunification or other permanency plans. B. A resource parent shall have the following characteristics: (1) Knowledge of and ab…

.07 Resource Parent Training. A. Pre-service Training. (1) Each resource parent applicant shall complete a pre-service training program approved by the Administration. This training shall cover the following: (a) Role and relationships between local department personnel, the reso…

.08 Home Study. A. Consideration. The local department shall prioritize initiating a home study on the basis of the applicant's flexibility in the children they can parent and the needs of children in out-of-home care. B. Local Department Assessment. (1) The home study process sh…

.09 Denial of License. The local department may deny an application if: A. The applicant, a household member, or the home in which the child in care will be placed fails to meet the requirements of this chapter; B. The local department’s evaluation of the application materials re…

.10 Reconsideration of a Resource Home. A. A local department shall: (1) Conduct an annual reconsideration of each resource parent and resource home that includes at least one home visit to determine continuing compliance with this chapter. (2) Provide written notice to the resou…

.11 Local Department Responsibility to Resource Parents. A local department shall: (1) Provide pre-service and continuing training opportunities; (2) Help resource parents understand their rights and responsibilities; (3) Consistent with regulation .12A of this chapter, provide t…

.12 Rights of a Resource Parent. A. Information About a Child in Care. Prior to a local department placing a child in care in a resource home, and upon learning new information, the worker shall provide the resource parent with all known information about the child in care’s medi…

.13 Responsibilities of a Resource Parent. A. Responsibilities to a Child in Care. A resource parent shall: (1) Participate in the child in care's physical health, mental health, and dental health care, including documenting every healthcare visit in the child in care’s health pa…

.14 Behavioral Management of Children in Care. A. The local department shall provide resource parents with developmentally appropriate and trauma-informed resources to manage the behaviors of children in care, including behavior management methods, and connect the resource parent…

.15 Investigations of Abuse or Neglect in Resource Homes. A. Initial Notification. If the local department receives a report of suspected abuse or neglect and initiates an investigation, the local department shall: (1) Notify the resource parent that a report of abuse or neglect …

.16 Resource Parent License on Hold. A. A licensed resource parent may choose to suspend acceptance of children in care for up to 1 year and still maintain licensed status. B. During the period in which the license is on hold, the resource parent is not required to undergo an ann…

.17 Relicensing a Closed Resource Home. A. If former resource parents request that their home be relicensed within 3 years of being closed in good standing, the local department shall conduct a reconsideration as required under Regulation .10 of this chapter and require that: (1)…

.18 Resource Home Closure, Suspension, and Revocation. A. Closure of a Resource Home. (1) A local department may close a resource home for one or more of the following reasons: (a) The local department has not placed any children in the resource home in the previous 2 years; or (…

.19 Liability Insurance and Reimbursement for Loss to Resource Parents. A. The Administration shall provide liability insurance for resource parents who care for children under certain conditions. B. The insurance shall cover the following: (1) Bodily injury and property damage t…

.20 Appeal Procedure. A. Appeal Rights. A resource parent aggrieved by a local department's decision to deny, suspend, or revoke a license may appeal under COMAR 07.01.04. B. Exclusive Jurisdiction of Courts. A resource parent may not use these procedures to appeal a court’s deci…

.01 Scope. A. Except as set forth in §B of this regulation, an individual found responsible by a local department for indicated or unsubstantiated child abuse or neglect or who was alleged to have abused or neglected a child in a case that resulted in a finding of indicated or un…

.02 Definitions. A. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated. B. Terms Defined. (1) “Administrative law judge (ALJ)” means an administrative law judge of the Office of Administrative Hearings. (2) “Alleged maltreatment” means child abuse or neglect reporte…

.03 Procedures. A. An appeal of a finding of indicated child abuse or neglect under this chapter shall consist of a hearing. B. An appeal of a finding of unsubstantiated child abuse or neglect under this chapter shall consist of: (1) A conference with a supervisor at the local de…

.04 Notice of Opportunity for a Hearing. A. Within 30 days after a local department has completed an investigation of child abuse or neglect, the local department shall send a notice of action to: (1) An individual whom a local department has found responsible for indicated or un…

.05 Request for Appeal. A. Indicated Child Abuse or Neglect. An individual found responsible for indicated child abuse or neglect or any individual who was alleged to have abused or neglected a child in a case that resulted in a finding of indicated child abuse or neglect with no…

.06 Stay Pending Disposition of Criminal Charges. A. An appellant shall notify OAH of: (1) A pending criminal proceeding arising out of the alleged child abuse or neglect; and (2) The final resolution of a criminal proceeding arising out of the alleged child abuse or neglect. B. …

.07 Stay Pending Disposition of CINA Proceeding. A. An appellant and the local department shall notify OAH of any CINA proceeding of which they are aware concerning a child: (1) Who has been allegedly abused or neglected by the appellant; or (2) Who is in the care, custody, or ho…

.08 Unsubstantiated Child Abuse or Neglect — Conference. A. Within 10 days of receiving a request for a conference, the local department shall: (1) Schedule a conference to occur at the local department within 30 days of the local department receiving the conference request; and …

.09 Appeal of Outcome of Conference. A. If as a result of the conference the local department does not agree to modify its unsubstantiated finding, the appellant may appeal the finding of unsubstantiated child abuse or neglect in a hearing in accordance with this chapter. B. An a…

.10 Exceptions to Appeal Timeframes. A. Upon written request, a local department shall offer an individual found responsible for an unexpunged finding of indicated or unsubstantiated child abuse or neglect made before June 1, 1999, an opportunity to appeal in accordance with this…

.11 Discovery. A. The local department shall serve the appellant with the redacted record not later than 14 days before the scheduled hearing. (1) Service is presumed to occur 3 days after mailing. (2) If service of the record does not occur in accordance with this regulation, th…

.12 Conduct of Hearing. A. A party may not call a child younger than 14 years old to testify or otherwise participate in a hearing under this chapter unless the party seeking to introduce the child’s testimony or involve the child demonstrates that: (1) The child's testimony or i…

.13 Dismissal or Voluntary Withdrawal. A. An appellant may withdraw a request for a hearing at any time by notifying OAH in writing of the intent to withdraw. B. If the appellant withdraws the request, OAH shall dismiss the appeal and notify the local department. C. If the local …

.14 Decision and Order. A. Not later than 45 days after the hearing, OAH shall issue a decision and order to the: (1) Appellant or, if represented at the hearing by an attorney, the appellant’s attorney; (2) The local department’s appeal representative or attorney; and (3) The De…

.15 Recordings — Expungement. OAH may destroy the recording of a contested case one year after the date of the decision unless either party has specifically requested that the recording not be destroyed.

.01 Purpose and Scope. A. The purpose of the Maryland Safe Haven Program is to provide the mother of a newborn the opportunity to provide a safe abandonment of her newborn by: (1) Providing immunity from civil liability and criminal prosecution for a mother who leaves an unharmed…

.02 Definitions. A. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated. B. Terms Defined. (1) Child in Need of Assistance (CINA). (a) “Child in Need of Assistance (CINA)” has the meaning stated in the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, §3-801(f), Annotated Cod…