1. A. Except as provided in §B of this regulation, a person may not operate an agency or engage in the placement of children without a license from OLM.

2. B. The following activities do not require a license as an agency:

   1. (1) An individual placing a child with another individual related to the child by blood or marriage within four degrees of consanguinity or affinity according to the civil law rule, Family Law Article, §5-507(b), Annotated Code of Maryland;
   2. (2) A child's parent or grandparent placing the child directly without the intervention of any other person except for the recipient of the child; or
   3. (3) An attorney preparing adoption pleadings or performing any other normal function of the practice of law.

3. C. To provide child placement services, an agency shall:

   1. (1) Have an appropriate and current child placement agency license issued by the Administration;
   2. (2) Comply with the regulations of this chapter; and

   3. (3) As applicable, comply with one or more of the following COMAR chapters:

      1. (a) COMAR 07.02.21 Treatment Foster Care,
      2. (b) COMAR 07.05.02 Private Foster Care;
      3. (c) COMAR 07.05.03 Private Adoption; and
      4. (d) COMAR 07.05.04 Private Independent Living Program.

4. D. The child placement agency license shall include the:

   1. (1) Agency's identification as a licensed Maryland child placement agency;
   2. (2) Name of the licensed agency;
   3. (3) License number;
   4. (4) Type of license;
   5. (5) Address of the agency's office for which the license is issued;
   6. (6) Effective date of the license;
   7. (7) Expiration date of the license; and
   8. (8) Signature of the Administration's executive director.

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)