§ 5-584. Child abuse

   (a) Notification of Secretary's designee of report. -- In addition to any other provision of law relating to child abuse and neglect, a local department that receives a report of suspected child abuse under § 5-704 or § 5-705 of this title that concerns a child care center, shall notify the State Superintendent's designee within 48 hours.

(b) Multidisciplinary team -- Convention. -- On receipt of the notification required under subsection (a) of this section, the State Superintendent's designee shall convene, either in person or by telephone, a multidisciplinary team to coordinate procedures in accordance with the agreement developed under § 5-706(f) of this title to be followed in investigating and otherwise responding to the report.

(c) Multidisciplinary team -- Chairperson; composition. -- The multidisciplinary team shall be chaired by the State Superintendent's designee and shall include:

   (1) representatives of the local department and law enforcement agency that are investigating the report under § 5-706 of this title;

   (2) representation from the office of the local State's Attorney; and

   (3) appropriate medical, including mental health, expertise.

(d) Multidisciplinary team -- Sharing information generally. -- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the members of the multidisciplinary team shall share information necessary to carry out the team's responsibility under this section.

(e) Multidisciplinary team -- Confidentiality of shared information. -- Any information shared by the multidisciplinary team shall be confidential and may be disclosed only in accordance with the provisions of § 1-201, 1-202, 1-204, and 1-205 of the Human Services Article.

(f) Technical assistance to local law enforcement agencies. -- On request, the Department of State Police shall provide technical assistance to a local law enforcement agency which is investigating a report of suspected child abuse concerning a child care center.

HISTORY: 1988, ch. 247; 1989, ch. 5, § 1; ch. 514, § 2; 1994, ch. 165, § 3; ch. 166, § 3; 1995, ch. 3, § 2; 2005, ch. 464, § 3, 5; ch. 585, § 5; 2007, ch. 8, § 1; 2012, ch. 66, § 6.