576                               LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 293

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1,1966.

Approved April 29, 1966.

CHAPTER 293
(House Bill 308)

AN ACT to add a new Section 32A to Article 88A of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1964 Replacement Volume), title "State De-
partment of Public Welfare," subtitle "Child Care," to follow im-
mediately after Section 32 thereof, to provide generally for the
regulation and licensing by the State Department of Public Wel-
fare of persons, firms, corporations and agencies providing family
day care and of child placement agencies placing children in fam-
ily day care homes in the State.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That a new Section 32A be and it is hereby added to Article 88A of
the Annotated Code of Maryland (1964 Replacement Volume), title
"State Department of Public Welfare," subtitle "Child Care," to
follow immediately after Section 32 thereof, and to read as follows:

32A.

(a)    No person, firm, corporation or agency may provide family
day care for children in this State unless licensed therefor by the
State Department of Public Welfare. "Family day care" is defined
for the purposes of this section as care given in lieu of parental care
to from one to not more than four children under the age of sixteen,
in a facility located outside of the home of the child's parents or
legal guardian, for a part of a twenty-four hour day, regardless of
whether or not IF compensation is paid for the care. A "family day
care home" is defined as the facility where the care is provided.

(b)    No license is required if family day care is provided by:

(1)    a person related to the child by blood or marriage:

(2)    a person who is a close friend of the child's parents
or legal guardian and is providing such care on an
occasional basis; or

(3)    a person who has received the care of the child from a
child placement agency licensed hereunder by the State
Department of Public Welfare or from a local welfare
department.

(c)    The necessary qualifications and the minimum standards
established as prerequisites for the issuance of licenses shall be set
forth in rules and regulations promulgated by the State Department
of Public Welfare and shall be such as to protect the health, safety,
welfare and morals of the children placed in family day care. The
procedures for the issuance of licenses shall be set forth in rules
and regulations of the State Department. If the THE rules or AND
regulations SHALL provide for the issuance of licenses by local