Md. Code Regs. 07.02.07.11 – Child Abuse Disposition.

A. Indicated Child Abuse.
1. (1) Physical Abuse with No Mental Injury. Except as provided in §A(3) of this regulation, a local department may make a finding of indicated child physical abuse if there is credible evidence, which has not been satisfactorily refuted, that the following five elements were present during the alleged child abuse:
  1. (a) A physical injury;
  2. (b) A child victim;
  3. (c) A parent, caregiver, authority figure, or household or family member of the alleged victim responsible for the alleged abuse;
  4. (d) Circumstances including the nature, extent, and location of the injury indicating that the alleged victim’s health or welfare was harmed or was at substantial risk of harm; and
  5. (e) Labor Trafficking.
2. (2) Sexual Abuse.
  1. (a) A local department may make a finding of indicated child sexual abuse if there is credible evidence, which has not been satisfactorily refuted, that the following three elements were present during the alleged child sexual abuse:
    1. (i) An act that involves sexual molestation, sexual exploitation, or sex trafficking;
    2. (ii) A child victim; and
    3. (iii) A parent, caregiver, authority figure, or household or family member of the alleged victim responsible for the alleged child sexual abuse, or sex trafficking of a child by any individual.
  2. (b) Physical injury is not required for a finding of indicated sexual abuse.
3. (3) Abuse — Mental Injury. A local department may make a finding of indicated child abuse with mental injury if there is credible evidence not satisfactorily refuted that the following five elements were present during the alleged child abuse with mental injury:
  1. (a) A mental injury characterized by an observable, identifiable, substantial impairment to the child's mental or psychological ability to function, which may be shown by the need for specific psychiatric, psychological, or social work intervention;
  2. (b) A child victim;
  3. (c) A parent, caregiver, authority figure, or household or family member of the alleged victim responsible for the alleged child abuse with mental injury;
  4. (d) Mental injury caused by an intentional act or series of acts, regardless of whether there was an intent to harm the child; and
  5. (e) Circumstances including the nature and extent of the mental injury indicating that the alleged victim’s health or welfare was harmed or was at substantial risk of harm.
B. Unsubstantiated Child Abuse.
1. (1) A local department may make a finding of unsubstantiated child abuse if there is insufficient evidence to support a finding of indicated or ruled out.
2. (2) A local department may base its finding of unsubstantiated child abuse on insufficient evidence:
  1. (a) Supporting one or more elements of indicated child abuse; or
  2. (b) Refuting one or more elements of indicated child abuse.
3. (3) A local department may find insufficient evidence supporting a finding of indicated child abuse for reasons including but not limited to:
  1. (a) The lack of a credible account by the alleged victim or witness;
  2. (b) The failure of the alleged maltreator to completely and credibly refute the allegations;
  3. (c) A lack of access to the alleged victim or alleged maltreator despite reasonable efforts to obtain access; or
  4. (d) An inability to obtain relevant facts regarding the alleged child abuse despite reasonable efforts.
C. Ruled Out Child Abuse.
1. (1) A local department shall make a finding that child abuse is ruled out if the local department finds that child abuse did not occur.
2. (2) The local department may base a finding of ruled out on:
  1. (a) A lack of credible evidence supporting one or more elements of indicated child abuse; or
  2. (b) A credible refutation of one or more of the elements of indicated child abuse; or
  3. (c) A finding that the alleged maltreator was not responsible for the injury for reasons including but not limited to:
    1. (i) The injury was caused by accidental means and was not caused by a reckless disregard for the child’s health or welfare; or
    2. (ii) The injury was a result of the child's medical condition.
D. If the alleged maltreator was a child and not the parent of the alleged victim, the local department may consider the factors in Regulation .10D of this chapter to determine the appropriate finding.

Authority: Criminal Law Article, §§3-601, 3-602, and 3-602.1; Family Law Article, Title 5, Subtitle 7; Human Services Article, §§1-202 and 4-207;
Annotated Code of Maryland
Chs. 398 and 399, Acts of 2011 (Agency Note: 42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)(2); 45 CFR §1340.20)

Effective date: February 1, 1973

Regulation .03B amended effective January 5, 1977 (4:1 Md. R. 15)

Chapter revised effective August 17, 1977 (4:17 Md. R. 1293)

Regulations .01 and .05B amended effective November 2, 1979 (6:22 Md. R. 1776)

Regulation .07B adopted effective May 2, 1980 (7:9 Md. R. 843)

Regulation .11 adopted effective November 2, 1979 (6:22 Md. R. 1776)

Chapter revised effective March 6, 1981 (8:5 Md. R. 471)

Regulations .02B and .08 amended effective December 20, 1982 (9:25 Md. R. 2477)

Regulation .02A, C amended effective December 17, 1984 (11:25 Md. R. 2129)

Regulation .02E-1 adopted effective March 11, 1985 (12:5 Md. R. 481)

Regulation .05B amended effective December 17, 1984 (11:25 Md. R. 2129)

Regulation .09I repealed effective December 17, 1984 (11:25 Md. R. 2129)

Regulation .10-1 adopted effective December 17, 1984 (11:25 Md. R. 2129)

Regulation .11 amended effective March 11, 1985 (12:5 Md. R. 481)

Chapter revised effective February 6, 1989 (16:2 Md. R. 157)

Regulations .02, .03, .07, .08, and .14 amended and .07-1 and .19 adopted as an emergency provision effective October 1, 1993 (20:20 Md. R. 1547)

Regulations .01—.18 repealed and new Regulations .01—.24 adopted effective October 1, 1994 (21:19 Md. R. 1630)

Regulation .02B amended effective November 6, 1995 (22:22 Md. R. 1656)

Regulation .05G adopted effective July 1, 1996 (23:13 Md. R. 940)

Regulation .07 amended effective August 14, 1995 (22:16 Md. R. 1219)

Regulation .22 amended effective August 14, 1995 (22:16 Md. R. 1219)

Regulation .23A amended effective November 18, 1996 (23:23 Md. R. 1554)

Chapter, Protective Services for Neglected and Abused Children, repealed and new chapter, Child Protective Services—Investigation of Child Abuse and Neglect, adopted effective March 18, 2002 (29:5 Md. R. 500)

Regulation .02B amended effective November 19, 2007 (34:23 Md. R. 2025); October 5, 2009 (36:20 Md. R. 1527); September 30, 2013 (40:19 Md. R. 1543)

Regulation .03 amended effective October 5, 2009 (36:20 Md. R. 1527)

Regulation .04A, B amended effective February 20, 2012 (39:3 Md. R. 258)

Regulation .05 amended effective April 11, 2005 (32:7 Md. R. 676); November 19, 2007 (34:23 Md. R. 2025)

Regulation .05D amended effective February 20, 2012 (39:3 Md. R. 258)

Regulation .06 amended effective November 19, 2007 (34:23 Md. R. 2025); February 20, 2012 (39:3 Md. R. 258)

Regulation .07A amended effective November 19, 2007 (34:23 Md. R. 2025)

Regulation .07C amended effective February 20, 2012 (39:3 Md. R. 258)

Regulation .09A amended effective February 20, 2012 (39:3 Md. R. 258)

Regulation .12A,C amended effective November 19, 2007 (34:23 Md. R. 2025)

Regulation .14A, B amended effective February 20, 2012 (39:3 Md. R. 258)

Regulation .15B,C amended effective November 19, 2007 (34:23 Md. R. 2025)

Regulation .17 amended effective November 19, 2007 (34:23 Md. R. 2025)

Regulation .18 amended effective November 19, 2007 (34:23 Md. R. 2025)

Regulation .19 amended effective June 19, 2006 (33:12 Md. R. 997); November 19, 2007 (34:23 Md. R. 2025); December 27, 2010 (37:26 Md. R. 1786)

Regulation .19C amended effective September 22, 2008 (35:19 Md. R. 1716); February 20, 2012 (39:3 Md. R. 258)

Regulation .20B amended effective February 20, 2012 (39:3 Md. R. 258)

Regulation .21A amended effective February 20, 2012 (39:3 Md. R. 258)

Regulations .01—.23 repealed and new Regulations .01—.24 adopted effective June 19, 2017 (44:12 Md. R. 586)

Regulation .02B amended effective September 7, 2020 (47:18 Md. R. 824); October 13, 2025 (52:19 Md. 1000)

Regulation .03C amended effective October 13, 2025 (52:19 Md. R. 1000)

Regulation .06H, J amended effective September 7, 2020 (47:18 Md. R. 824)

Regulation .08C amended effective September 7, 2020 (47:18 Md. R. 824)

Regulation .09C amended effective September 7, 2020 (47:18 Md. R. 824)

Regulation .10C, E amended effective September 7, 2020 (47:18 Md. R. 824)

Regulation .11 amended effective September 7, 2020 (47:18 Md. R. 824)

Regulation .11A amended effective October 13, 2025 (52:19 Md. R. 1000)

Regulation .12A amended effective September 7, 2020 (47:18 Md. R. 824)

Regulation .13B amended effective September 7, 2020 (47:18 Md. R. 824)

Regulation .14 amended effective September 7, 2020 (47:18 Md. R. 824)

Regulation .17B amended effective September 7, 2020 (47:18 Md. R. 824)

Regulation .21 amended effective September 7, 2020 (47:18 Md. R. 824)

Regulation .23A, B amended effective September 7, 2020 (47:18 Md. R. 824)