ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor

Ch. 304

(3) SPECIFY THE COMPELLING REASONS FOR PLACING A CHILD IN A
LOCAL JURISDICTION OTHER THAN THE LOCAL JURISDICTION WHERE THE CHILD'S
PARENT OR GUARDIAN RESIDES, UNDER SUBSECTION (E)(3)(II) OF THIS SECTION; AND

[(3)] (4) require the local department to make appropriate referrals to
emergency shelter and other services for families with children who lack shelter.

5-544.

The goals of each local board are:

(1) subject to § 5-545 of this subtitle, as to minor children who have
resided in out of home placement under the jurisdiction of the local department for
more than 6 months:

(i) to review the cases every 6 months to determine what efforts
have been made to acquire permanent and stable placement for these children; [and]

(ii) to encourage and facilitate the return of each of these children
to the child's parent or, on determining that return of a child to the child's parent is
not in the best interests of the child, to encourage placement of the child with the
child's relatives, provided the placement has legal status, or if neither measure is in
the best interests of the child, to encourage efforts at adoption of the child; AND

(III) IF THE CHILD RESIDES IN AN OUT OF HOME PLACEMENT IN A
LOCAL JURISDICTION WHERE THE CHILD'S PARENT OR GUARDIAN DOES NOT
RESIDE, ON DETERMINING THAT THE RETURN OF THE CHILD TO THE CHILD'S
PARENT OR GUARDIAN IS NOT IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD, TO
ENCOURAGE AND FACILITATE THE PLACEMENT OF THE CHILD IN AN OUT OF HOME
PLACEMENT IN THE CHILD'S LOCAL JURISDICTION OF ORIGIN, WHEN APPROPRIATE;

(2) to encourage all possible efforts for permanent foster care or kinship
care or guardianship for minor children for whom return to a parent or adoption is not
feasible; and

(3) to report to the juvenile court on the status of efforts to secure
permanent homes for minor children.

5-545.

(a)     Each local board shall review children in out-of-home placement in
accordance with local plans approved by the State Board and the Secretary of Human
Resources.

(b)     Each local board shall report in writing to the juvenile court and the local
department on each minor child whose case is reviewed by the local board.

(c)      In the report, the local board may recommend, as being in the best interest
of the minor child:

(1)     that the child be returned to the parent or legal guardian;

(2)     that the child continue to be placed outside the home and that the
present placement plan is appropriate to the child's needs;

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