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<section article="gfl" article_name="Family Law" number="5-506" title_number="5" title_name="Children" subtitle_number="5" subtitle_name="Child Care; Foster Care">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The General Assembly intends that:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>all children whose care is the responsibility of this State shall have similar protection in terms of health, safety, and quality of care; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>the rules and regulations of agencies that are charged with child care shall be comparable.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>In addition to other regulations adopted under this title, the Department may adopt regulations to carry out §§ 5-507, 5-508, 5-509, and 5-509.1 of this subtitle, which relate to the licensing of child placement agencies, child care homes, child care institutions, and residential educational facilities.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>By regulation, the Department may delegate authority to child placement agencies to issue licenses or approve applicants for licenses under this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Any regulation adopted by the Department under this subsection shall provide for an appeal to an administrative appellate authority from a decision of a child placement agency.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A child placement agency, child care home, child care institution, or residential educational facility may not be required to obtain a license from more than one State agency.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Any State agency authorized to license child placement agencies, child care homes, child care institutions, or residential educational facilities may make cooperative arrangements with any other State agency to give effect to paragraph (1) of this subsection.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The Department shall cooperate in planning and determining the cost of developing and implementing a system of evaluating the success of services to children in out–of–home placement.</text>
  </level>
</section>
