Terms Used In Maryland Code, FAMILY LAW 5-1305

  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
The effectiveness of efforts to address permanency and stability in the living situations of children in the custody of a local department, or a placement agency, shall be measured by:

(1) the percentage of children who exit foster care within time periods consistent with federal national standards with a breakdown by each standard;

(2) the percentage of children with more than two out-of-home placements during a report year;

(3) the percentage of children in the custody of a local department, or a placement agency, who have siblings living in different placements;

(4) the percentage of children who exit foster care and are:

(i) reunified with a parent or guardian;

(ii) placed with a relative who is awarded custody and guardianship;

(iii) adopted; or

(iv) placed with a nonrelated guardian;

(5) the percentage of children in an out-of-home placement living in:

(i) kinship care homes;

(ii) restricted foster homes;

(iii) regular foster homes;

(iv) treatment foster homes;

(v) group homes;

(vi) residential treatment centers; and

(vii) other specified types of placements;

(6) the number of foster homes and treatment foster homes available for children in the custody of a local department, or a placement agency;

(7) the percentage of foster homes and kinship care homes in which the following have been conducted according to regulation:

(i) required criminal background checks;

(ii) fire and safety inspections;

(iii) health and safety checks;

(iv) reconsiderations, as applicable; and

(v) any other safety measures adopted by regulation;

(8) the number of children who are recommitted to the Department within 12 months of release from commitment to the Department; and

(9) any other indicators adopted by the Secretary under § 5-1302 of this subtitle.