Opinion ID: 1931235
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Child Welfare System and Permanency Planning

Text: In Maryland, the General Assembly has enacted a comprehensive statutory scheme to ascertain whether a child is in need of assistance due to his or her parents' inability or unwillingness to care for him or her. Pursuant to the statute, when the local department of social services receives reports of abuse or neglect, it is required to investigate such reports, and in accordance with its findings, render appropriate services in the best interests of the child, including reunifying the child with a parent or petitioning the juvenile court to commit the child to the department's care and custody. See Md.Code (1984, 2002 Repl.Vol., 2004 Cum.Supp.), § 5-710 of the Family Law Article. If the juvenile court determines that the child is in need of assistance (CINA), the court may order, among several options, that the child be committed to the local department for out-of-home placement in a foster home or with relatives. See Md.Code, (1984, 2002 Repl.Vol., 2004 Cum.Supp.) § 5-525 of the Family Law Article. One of the important purposes of the child welfare system is to provide a permanent and stable environment for children declared CINA, and to prevent those children from languishing in foster care. Accordingly, in order to facilitate this goal, the Maryland statutory scheme directs the local department of social services to develop and implement a permanency plan that is in the best interests of those children committed to the custody of those departments. In re Yve S., 373 Md. at 574, 819 A.2d at 1044, quoting In re Adoption/Guardianship No. 10941, 335 Md. at 103-06, 642 A.2d at 203-05; Md.Code (1984, 1999 Repl.Vol., 2002 Cum.Supp.), § 5-525(e) of the Family Law Article. In In re Damon M., we identified the importance of a permanency plan: The permanency plan is an integral part of the statutory scheme designed to expedite the movement of Maryland's children from foster care to a permanent living, and hopefully, family arrangement. It provides the goal toward which the parties and the court are committed to work. It sets the tone for the parties and the court and, indeed, may be outcome determinative. Services to be provided by the local social service department and commitments that must be made by the parents and children are determined by the permanency plan. 362 Md. at 436, 765 A.2d at 627-28. In In re Yve S. we explained the need for trial courts to review permanency plans to ensure that children are being cared for in the best possible manner: As In re Damon M. observes, the purpose of a permanency plan is to set the direction in which the parent, agencies, and the court will work in terms of reaching a satisfactory conclusion to the situation. Once set initially, the goal of the permanency plan is re-visited periodically at hearings to determine progress and whether, due to historical and contemporary circumstances, that goal should be changed. It is not the purpose of the initial permanency plan hearing, however, to resolve all issues involved in that final resolution. If that were the case, there would be no need for review of how, on a regular basis, the plan is progressing or not. Also as In re Damon M. indicates, the initial permanency plan hearing is to be held and conducted expeditiously. Protracted proceedings in establishing the initial plan defeat the purpose of the statute. The statute presumes that, unless there are compelling circumstances to the contrary, the plan should be to work toward reunification, as it is presumed that it is in the best interest of a child to be returned to his or her natural parent. 373 Md. at 582, 819 A.2d at 1049. In In re Yve S., quoting from In re Damon M., we also delineated the requirements a trial court must follow when implementing a permanency plan: [T]he court has the responsibility for determining the permanency plan, § 3-826.1(a)(1) and justifying the placement of children in out of home placements for a specified period or on a long-term or permanent basis, § 3-826.1(d), in addition to conducting periodic, six month reviews. § 3-826.1(f).    Section 3-826.1 [now codified as Section 3-823 of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article] requires the court, not later than 11 months after a child found to be in need of assistance has been placed in foster care, see also Md. Code (1989, 1991 Repl.Vol., 1997 Cum.Supp.) § 501(m) of the Family Law Article, to hold a permanency planning hearing to determine the permanency plan for that child. § 3-826.1(a)(1) [now § 3-823(b)(1)]. At that hearing, for each child in placement and in determining the plan, the court is required to make certain decisions and findings, § 3-826.1(c), [now § 3-823(e)] specifically, whether the child should be: returned to the parent or guardian, § 3-826.1(c)(1)(i) [now § 3-823(e)(1)(i)]; placed with relatives to whom adoption or guardianship is granted, § 3-826.1(c)(1)(ii) [now § 3-823(e)(1)(ii)]; placed for adoption, § 3-826.1(c)(1)(iii) [now § 3-823(e)(1)(iii)]; emancipated, § 3-826.1(c)(1)(iv) [now deleted]; or because of the child's special needs or circumstances, continued in placement on a permanent or long-term basis or for a specified period. § 3-826.1(c)(1)(v) and (vi) [now § 3-823(e)(1)(v) and (vi)]. Id. at 577-81, 819 A.2d at 1046-48 (additions in original). We explained: Section 3-826.1(f) [now § 3-823(h)] mandates periodic reviews of the permanency plan by the court. Subsection (f)(1)(i) provides [now § 3-823(h)(1)(i)] that such reviews will be no less frequently than every six months until commitment is rescinded. If, however, at the permanency planning hearing or a subsequent review hearing, the court, inter alia, orders a child continued in permanent foster care, the court is no longer required to hold the review hearings at six month intervals. Subsection (f)(1)(ii) [now § 3-823(h)(1)(ii), is revised to require review hearings every 12 months.]. As is true of the initial permanency planning hearing, the court must make some determinations at the hearing to review the permanency plan. § 3-826.1(f)(2) [now § 3-823(h)(2)]. Among other things, in addition to determining whether the commitment remains necessary and appropriate, subsection (f)(2)(i) [now § 3-823(h)(2)(i)], and evaluating the progress made toward alleviating or mitigating the causes of the commitment, subsection (f)(2)(iii) [now § 3-823(h)(2)(iii)], the court is required to determine the extent of compliance with the permanency plan, Subsection (f)(2)(ii) [now § 3-823(h)(2)(ii)], and to change it if a change in the permanency plan would be in the child's best interest. Subsection (f)(2)(v) [now § 3-823(h)(2)(vi)]. Id. at 581, 819 A.2d at 1048 (additions in original).