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<section article="gcj" article_name="Courts and Judicial Proceedings" number="3-810" title_number="3" title_name="Courts of General Jurisdiction -- Jurisdiction/special Causes of Action" subtitle_number="8" subtitle_name="Juvenile Causes -- Children in Need of Assistance">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, the Maryland Rules govern the format of a petition and of other pleadings and the procedures to be followed by the court and parties under this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Each document that a local department serves on a parent under this subtitle shall include information about the website that the Department of Human Services maintains under § 2–302 of the Human Services Article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In any proceeding in which a child is alleged to be in need of assistance or in any voluntary placement hearing, the court may exclude the general public from a hearing and admit only those persons having a direct interest in the proceeding and their representatives.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The court shall exclude the general public from a hearing where the proceedings involve discussion of confidential information from the child abuse and neglect report and record, or any information obtained from the child welfare agency concerning a child or family who is receiving Title IV–B child welfare services or Title IV–E foster care or adoption assistance.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The clerk of the court shall make a separate file for each case.</text>
  </level>
</section>
