State Agencies

Wicomico County

ES, UI, and WIN:

Parkway Shopping Center
Route 50 and Cypress Street
Salisbury 21801

Worcester County

ES and UI:
702 Philadelphia Avenue
Ocean City 21842

ES and UI:
422 West Market Street
Snow Hill 21863

SOCIAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

Ruth W. Massinga, Director
Vacant, Deputy Director

H. Branch Warfield, Assistant Director for Social
Services

Barbara Law, Staff Assistant to the State Board
BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES

Chairperson: Julcs Bcrman, 1983
•Secretory: James Martin, 1981

Dorothy J. Richardson, 1981; Janet Rosen, 1981;
John Days, 1983; Lynn Kapiloff, 1983; Marga-
ret R. Myers, 1985; Harriet P. Trader, 1985;
Lynn Witherspoon, 1985.

11 South Street
Baltimore 21202 Telephone: 383-3590

The Social Services Administration was origi-
nally established as the State Department of Pub-
lic Welfare by Chapter 99, Acts of 1939, to su-
persede the Board of State Aid and Charities
established by Chapter 679, Acts of 1900. By
Chapter 148, Acts of 1967, the General Assembly
modernized the law, bringing it into confonnance
with practice and clarifying the responsibilities of
the boards and directors of the State and local
departments. The name of the agency was chang-
ed to the Department of Social Services by Chap-
ter 702, Acts of 1968. The Administration adopt-
ed its present name by Chapter 96, Acts of 1970
(Code 1957, Art. 41, sec. 205F (b)).

The Director of Social Services is appointed by
the Secretary of Human Resources and serves at

Human Resources/209

his pleasure. The State Director is responsible for
the organization and administration of the Social
Services Administration and for the appointment,
under the Merit System Law, of all its personnel
(Code 1957, Art. 88A, sec. 2).

The State Board of Social Services is composed
of nine members appointed by the Secretary of
Human Resources with the approval of the Gov-
ernor, one of whom the Secretary designates as
chairperson. All members serve six-year terms, so
arranged that three terms expire on June 30 of
every second year. The State Board gives advice
and counsel and makes recommendations to the
Secretary of Human Resources, the Director of
the Social Services Administration, and the Direc-
tor of the Income Maintenance Administration.

In Baltimore City, the Mayor appoints nine citi-
zens to a local social services commission for stag-
gered six-year terms. The Mayor and the Com-
missioner of Health serve as ex officio members.
In each county, members of the local board of so-
cial services are appointed by the local governing
authority. Each of these boards consists of nine
members. One of these members must be a mem-
ber of the local governing body, designated on
July 1 of each year to serve as the ex officio mem-
ber of the local social services board. Members of
the local social services boards are appointed for
three-year terms and no appointee may serve for
more than two consecutive terms (Code 1957,
Art. 88A, secs. 1, 2, 4, 14, 14A).

The Social Services Administration is the cen-
tral coordinating and directing agency of all so-
cial service activities in the State, including Child
Welfare Services (adoption, foster care, protective
services to children and families), Child Day Care
Services, Adult and Family Services (protective
services to adults, homemaker services and com-
munity home aides, services to families with chil-
dren, services to single parents, referrals to the
Work Incentive Program, and family planning).

In Baltimore City and in each county there is a
local department of social services whose director
administers these social services activities within
the respective locality subject to the supervision,
direction, and control of the State Administra-
tion.

The Social Services Administration is responsi-
ble for the development and coordination of its
services, for determining the factors that seem to
contribute to social and family problems, and for
recommending changes or new programs to meet
some of the problems. In carrying out this re-
sponsibility, the Social Services Administration