Ch. 625

LAWS OF MARYLAND

CHAPTER 625

(Senate Bill 559)

AN ACT concerning

Adoption - Foster Parents

FOR the purpose of providing that a foster parent has a right to
adopt a foster child that has been in the foster parent's
care; repealing the consent requirement in an independent
adoption; requiring a court to consider that a child has
been in foster care and certain conditions when passing on a
petition for adoption altering the priority that a local
social "services agency shall consider in developing a
permanent plan for a child in foster care to give foster
parents priority for consideration for adoption of a child
in the foster parent's care; stating a certain priority of
the type of placement for a child under foster care;
providing for a timely hearing for a foster parent wishing
to contest an agency's decision; and generally relating to
the adoption by a foster parent of a foster child in the
foster parent's care.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

Article - Family Law

Section 5-309, 5-312, 5-313(c), and 5-316 Section 5-525
Annotated Code of Maryland
(1984 Replacement Volume and 1986 Supplement)

Preamble

WHEREAS, The General Assembly declares that, if a local
Department of Social Services determines that a person is
qualified to be a foster parent, the foster parent should be
considered as possible adoptive parents when it is decided
adoption is in the best interests of the child.

WHEREAS, Foster parents have had difficulty when trying to
adopt foster children that have been in their care for a long
period of time.                               

WHEREAS, Because the continuity of the care of a child is
essential for the development of that child, adoption by the
foster parents should be considered to be in the best interests
of the child; now, therefore,

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article - Family Law

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