1. A. The agency shall have a written appeal process for adoption applicants, approved adoptive parents, and any other individuals who believe they are aggrieved as a result of agency actions.

2. B. An individual aggrieved by a decision of the agency or the Administration may:

   1. (1) First exhaust the appeal process within the agency; and
   2. (2) If the grievance is not addressed to the satisfaction of the aggrieved party through the agency process, request a fair hearing as set forth in COMAR 07.01.04.

Authority: Family Law Article, §§5-101, 5-301—5-414, 5-3A-01 et seq., 5-4A-01 et seq.,5-4B-01 et seq., 5-524, and 5-525, Annotated Code of Maryland. Agency Note ; Federal Regulatory Reference: 42 U.S.C. §670 et seq.; 45 CFR 1355

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