1. A. In this subtitle, the following terms have the meanings indicated.

2. B. Terms Defined.

   1. (1) “Administration” means the Social Services Administration of the Department of Human Services.

   2. (2) “Agency” means a privately incorporated organization that is:

      1. (a) Incorporated as a child placement agency; and
      2. (b) Licensed by the Office of Licensing and Monitoring to receive children for placement into foster homes, treatment foster homes, adoptive homes, or independent living preparation arrangements.
   3. (3) “Case plan” means a written description of the child's needs and the services to be provided to meet those needs.
   4. (4) “Child" means an individual younger than 18 years old, except that a child already receiving care may continue to receive care until the end of the month in which the individual becomes 21 years old.

   5. (5) “Child placement worker" means an individual employed by an agency in accordance with Regulation .14 of this chapter to:

      1. (a) Perform intake services;
      2. (b) Provide casework, group work, or community organization services;
      3. (c) Plan and coordinate the services and resources affecting children before, during, and after the child is in foster or adoptive care;
      4. (d) Conduct home studies for adoptive and foster parents;
      5. (e) Provide therapeutic services required by the agency's type of license.
   6. (6) “Criminal background check” means finger-print based record checks of the criminal history record information maintained by the State and the criminal history record information in national crime information databases.
   7. (7) “Full-time employee” means an agency employee who works for the agency at least 35 hours per week.

   8. (8) “Local department" means the:

      1. (a) Department of social services in a county or Baltimore City; and
      2. (b) Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services.
   9. (9) “Office of Licensing and Monitoring (OLM)” means the licensing authority for the Social Services Administration of the Maryland Department of Human Services.
   10. (10) “Placing agency” means the agency, entity, or individual with the legal authority to place a child in an out-of-home placement.
   11. (11) “Type of license” means the specific grant of authority an agency must have depending on whether it is providing private foster care placements, private adoptions, independent living programs, or treatment foster care placements.

Authority: Human Services Article, §2-209 Annotated Code of Maryland
Agency Note: Federal Regulatory Reference: 42 U.S.C. §621 et seq.; 45 CFR 1355—1357

Effective date: January 12, 2001 (27:26 Md. R. 2357)

Regulation .14C amended as an emergency action effective July 1, 2023 (50:15 Md. R. 679); emergency status expired December 28, 2023

Chapter revised effective April 14, 2025 (52:7 Md. R. 321)

Regulation .02B amended effective February 2, 2026 (53:2 Md. R. 61)

Regulation .09 amended effective February 2, 2026 (53:2 Md. R. 61)

Regulation .14A amended effective February 2, 2026 (53:2 Md. R. 61)

Regulation .17 amended effective February 2, 2026 (53:2 Md. R. 61)