§ 5-534. Kinship care program

   (a) "Kinship parent" defined. -- In this section, "kinship parent" means an individual who is related by blood or marriage within five degrees of consanguinity or affinity under the civil law rule to a child who is in the care, custody, or guardianship of the local department and with whom the child may be placed for temporary or long-term care other than adoption.

(b) Establishment. -- The Administration shall establish a kinship care program.

(c) Placement. --

   (1) In selecting a placement that is in the best interests of a child in need of out-of-home placement, the local department shall, as a first priority, attempt to place the child with a kinship parent.

   (2) The local department shall exhaust all reasonable resources to locate a kinship parent for initial placement of the child.

   (3) If no kinship parent is located at the time of the initial placement, the child shall be placed in a foster care setting.

   (4) If a kinship parent is located subsequent to the placement of a child in a foster care setting, the local department may, if it is in the best interest of the child, place the child with the kinship parent.

(d) Age requirements. --

   (1) A kinship parent may not be less than 21 years of age.

   (2) The local department may waive the age requirement of paragraph (1) of this subsection if a potential kinship parent:

      (i) is at least 18 years of age; and

      (ii) lives with a spouse who is at least 21 years of age.

(e) Regulations. -- The Administration shall adopt regulations to implement this section that are consistent with the provisions of this section.

HISTORY: 1995, ch. 546; 1996, ch. 10, § 1; ch. 285.