Sec. 07.02.25.09. Local Department Responsibility to Resource Parents

A. A local department shall:

(1) Make accurate and timely reassessments of resource parent capabilities;

(2) Provide resource parents with relevant information that is available about the child and the reason the child is being placed in foster care;

(3) Provide resource parents with the abbreviated health care record;

(4) Help resource parents to understand their rights and responsibilities as defined in Regulations .07 and .08 of this chapter;

(5) Include the resource parents in the development of any service agreements negotiated with any foster children in their care;

(6) Inform the resource parents of the child's permanency plan and keep them updated, when necessary, as to the progress of the achievement of that plan and give the resource parents the ability to provide input as to the plan;

(7) Explain payment criteria, including board rates, clothing allowance, and any supplemental expenditures made to meet the child's needs in accordance with COMAR 07.02.11;

(8) Explain and provide pre-service and in-service training;

(9) Provide appropriate supportive services when available that will enable the resource parents to meet the unique needs of the child and deal effectively with problems inherent in the child's adjustment to care;

(10) Obtain agreement of resource parents to any visitation plan that involves the use of the resource parents' home, with attempts made to balance the resource parents' right to privacy with the right of the birth parents to visit the child;

(11) Respond as soon as possible to crisis situations that may arise from the child's placement in the resource home;

(12) Assist the resource parents in preparation for the separation of the child from foster care placement;

(13) Assist the resource parent in the selection, preparation, and completion of continuing resource parent training;

(14) Complete reconsideration every year or whenever there are major changes in the home of resource parents that could affect the resource parents' ability to care for foster children;

(15) Act in accordance with Regulation .15 of this chapter, and Family Law Article, §§5-704 and 5-706, of the Annotated Code of Maryland, when abuse or neglect is reported in a resource home;

(16) Obtain and maintain all pertinent records on the resource parents and the children for whom the resource parents have cared; and

(17) Complete all appropriate forms to close the resource home record when necessary and end all foster care payments.

B. A local department shall maintain regular contact with the resource parents and the child in out-of-home care.