CHAPTER 358
(Senate Bill 480)

AN ACT concerning

Foster Care - Child Support Obligations

FOR the purpose of requiring the Social Services Administration to adopt regulations
that mandate require authorize background checks for child support arrearages
for certain foster parents, applicants for foster home approval who are also
biological or adoptive parents; requiring the Social Services Administration to
adopt regulations that mandate that certain foster parents be given a certain
time period to pay delinquent child support obligations before any action is
taken with regard to the placement or removal of foster children requiring the
regulations to require that an applicant whose child support payments are in
arrears be given a certain period of time to bring the obligation current before a
decision is made on the application; requiring the regulations to require that if a
foster parent is in arrears in child support payments, no additional children will
be placed in the individual's home until the obligation is brought current
requiring the Administration to adopt regulations that authorize the
Administration to consider any child support arrearage of an applicant in
determining whether to approve or disapprove the application; and generally
relating to the placement of foster children.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article - Family Law
Section 5-525(i) 5-532
Annotated Code of Maryland
(1999 Replacement Volume)

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

Article - Family Law

5-525.

(i) The Administration shall adopt regulations that:

(1) for the 12 month period beginning on October 1, 1983, and for each
subsequent 12-month period, establish specific goals as to the maximum number of
children who will remain in foster care for more than 2 years;

(2) prohibit a local department from seeking the custody or guardianship
of a child for placement in foster care solely because the child's parent or guardian
lacks shelter; [and]

(3) require the local department to make appropriate referrals to
emergency shelter and other services for families with children who lack shelter; AND