COMAR 07.02.11.01. Purpose of Out-of-Home Placement Program

The purpose of the Out-of-Home Placement Program of the Social Services Administration is to:

A. Provide short-term 24-hour a day care and supportive services for a child who is in the custody or guardianship of a local department of social services or who is voluntarily placed outside the family home because the child:

(1) Has been abused, abandoned, neglected, is dependent, or has a developmental disability or mental disorder;

(2) Is in serious immediate danger; or

(3) The child's parents, legal guardian, or custodian are unable or unwilling to give proper care and attention to the child and the child's needs;

B. Provide time-limited family reunification services to a child placed in an out-of-home placement, and to the parents or legal guardian of the child, in order to facilitate the child's safe and timely reunification; and

C. Concurrently develop and implement a plan in the best interests of the child to facilitate a planned, permanent living arrangement for the child who cannot be reunified.