State Agencies

view boards. It also makes recommendations to
the General Assembly on foster care policies and
procedures (Code 1957, Art. 88A, secs. 114-120).

The State Board is composed of nine members.
Each local review board of the eight judicial cir-
cuits elects a member to the State Board. The
Governor also appoints one member from his
staff. Members serve four-year terms concurrent
with their individual terms on the local review
board.

The Administrator is appointed by the State
Board with the approval of the Secretary of Hu-
man Resources and serves at their pleasure. The
Administrator is responsible for the administra-
tion of the Foster Care Review Board program
and for the appointment, under the Merit System
Law, of its personnel.

Local review boards are appointed by the Gov-
ernor for four-year terms. There are five members
and two alternates on each local board.

Every six months, the local citizen review
boards review the cases of children who have re-
sided in foster care for more than six months to
determine what efforts have been made to acquire
permanent and stable placement for the children.
For each child reviewed, a recommendation is
sent to the local department of social services and
to the juvenile court.

INCOME MAINTENANCE
ADMINISTRATION

Ernestine Jones, Executive Director

300 West Preston Street
Baltimore 21202 Telephone: 576-5400

The Income Maintenance Administration, for-
merly part of the Social Services Administration,
was established by Executive Order on January
17, 1980, and subsequently approved by the Gen-
eral Assembly.

The Executive Director of the Income Mainte-
nance Administration is appointed by the Secre-
tary of Human Resources and serves at his
pleasure. The Executive Director is responsible
for the organization and administration of the In-
come Maintenance Administration and for the
appointment, under the Merit System Law, of all
its personnel. The central office includes the fol-
lowing major units: the Office of Public Assis-
tance, Office of Child Support, Office of Adminis-
trative Services, Office of Program Integrity,
Office of Program Support, and Office of Auto-
mated Income Maintenance System (AIMS).

The Income Maintenance Administration is the
central coordinating and directing agency of all

Human Resources/237

public assistance activities in the State, including
Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Medi-
cal Assistance, General Public Assistance, and
Food Stamps. It has responsibility for the certifi-
cation of low income families for Medical Assis-
tance. In agreement with the U. S. Department of
Agriculture, the Income Maintenance Adminis-
tration administers the Food Stamp program,
which is available in all political subdivisions of
the State. The Income Maintenance Administra-
tion also includes Fair Hearings, Quality Control,
and Welfare Fraud units.

In Baltimore City and in each county there is a
local department of social services whose director
administers these public assistance activities with-
in the respective locality subject to the supervi-
sion, direction, and control of the State Adminis-
tration.

The Income Maintenance Administration is
responsible for the development and coordination
of its programs and the dissemination of policy to
local departments of social services for purposes
of determining eligibility for financial assistance,
Medical Assistance, and Food Stamps. In carry-
ing out this responsibility, the Income Mainte-
nance Administration calls upon the local depart-
ments of social services for leadership within their
communities and for participation in statewide
activities.

The Income Maintenance Administration has
responsibility for child support activities for fami-
lies receiving public assistance. All recipients of
Aid to Families with Dependent Children must
assign to the State all rights to support. The In-
come Maintenance Administration, through local
departments of social services, uses local, State
and federal locator services to find absent parents
owing such support, and court orders are then es-
tablished requiring payment to the State. Monies
collected through this program are used to reim-
burse the State and the federal government for as-
sistance costs.

The Income Maintenance Administration also
serves as the public agency through which child
support payments are channeled. Prior to January
1, 1979, such payments were handled by the Di-
vision of Parole and Probation of the Department
of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

LOCAL OFFICES PROVIDING
SOCIAL SERVICES AND INCOME
MAINTENANCE

State Administrative Office

300 West Preston St.
Baltimore 21202 Telephone: 576-5400