Out-of-Home Placement Providers - Individuals Enrolled in Higher Education and Vocational Training Programs
Summary
SB765 requires the Maryland Department of Human Services to adopt regulations establishing a maximum number of children that may be placed with an out-of-home placement provider. It also creates an exception to that placement limit for a child enrolled in an accredited institution of higher education, allowing that child to remain connected to a prior placement under specified circumstances.
The bill further authorizes an individual enrolled in an accredited college, university, or residential vocational training program to return to a previously used out-of-home placement provider during a scheduled break, temporary closure, or temporary leave from campus or the training program. To do so, the individual must request the return through the local department of social services at least 30 days before the break, after which the local department must make a recommendation and the Department of Human Services must make a final determination within set deadlines. The arrangement must be mutually agreed to by the individual, the provider, and the provider agency, and approved by the Department.
Impact
The bill amends the Maryland Family Law Article by adding a new section governing out-of-home placement provider capacity and return-to-placement procedures for youth in higher education or vocational training. It gives the Department of Human Services regulatory authority to set placement limits, while carving out an exemption for certain children in higher education, and it imposes new administrative timelines on local departments and the Department for reviewing requests to return to a prior placement. The law affects out-of-home placement providers, local departments of social services, the Department of Human Services, and children or young adults in foster or other out-of-home care who are pursuing postsecondary education or vocational training.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. Both chambers passed it unanimously on third reading, with 47-0 in the Senate and 136-0 in the House, indicating strong bipartisan agreement. The lack of recorded committee testimony in the provided materials also suggests limited public opposition or debate in the available record.
Contention
No major points of contention are reflected in the provided record. The main policy choices in the bill are the Department’s authority to set maximum placement numbers and the exception allowing students in higher education or vocational training to return to a prior placement during breaks or temporary disruptions. Any potential concerns would likely center on administrative timing, provider capacity, and the conditions for approving a return placement, but no specific opposition or disagreement is shown in the votes or transcripts provided.