HARRY HUGHES, Governor

3205

(e)  The mother of a child born in wedlock, if she is
alive and has riot lost her parental rights through court
action or voluntary relinquishment or abandonment, and if
the illegitimacy of the child has been established to the
satisfaction of the court; or

(f)  The legal guardian of the person to be adopted, if
parental rights with right to consent to adoption, or
long-term care short of adoption, as provided in § 72 above,
has been transferred by court action to such guardian; or

(g)  The executive head of any public or private child
care or child placement institution or agency which through
court action under § 72 above, or voluntary relinquishment
has been given the care, custody and control of the person
to be adopted, including the right to consent to such an
adoption, or long-term care short of adoption; or

(h) The State Department of Social Services or its
local unit within the jurisdiction of the court, in any
condition of fact not hereinbefore covered.

Any consent obtained under the provisions of this
section may be revoked and cancelled at any time before
final decree, but not after a guardianship decree under § 72
above, if one be had, or not after an interlocutory decree,
if one be had.

Minority of a natural parent shall not place such
parent under a disability in adoption or guardianship
proceedings under this subtitle and such parent, if he has
attained the age of eighteen (18) years, may give a valid
consent to adoption or guardianship under this subtitle
and/or join as a party in such proceedings and shall be
considered sui juris and no adoption or guardianship under
this subtitle shall be invalidated because of the minority
of a natural parent.]

[75.

(a)  After a child has been under continuous foster
care for a period of two consecutive years under the custody
of an agency authorized by law to make placements, it shall
be presumed by the court that it is in the best interests of
the child to award to that agency a decree granting
guardianship with the right to consent to adoption or
long-term care short of adoption, without the consent of the
natural parent or parents; provided that notice otherwise
required by law has been given.

(b)  The court in considering evidence to rebut this
presumption, among other factors, shall consider the
following: