<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".13" citation="COMAR 07.02.09.13" title_num="07" subtitle_num="02" chapter_num="09" heading="Appeal Procedure.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>Appeal Rights. A kinship caregiver aggrieved by a local department's decision to deny, suspend, or revoke a license may appeal under COMAR 07.01.04.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>Exclusive Jurisdiction of Courts. A kinship caregiver may not use these procedures to appeal a court’s decision or a decision that only a court can make.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>Expedited Appeal. A kinship caregiver who intends to adopt a child the local department has placed in the kinship caregiver’s home may appeal a local department’s decision to remove the child by advising the local department within 30 days of the removal.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The local department shall notify the Office of Administrative Hearings of the appeal; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The Office of Administrative Hearings shall hold a hearing and issue a decision within 45 days of receiving the request.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>Additional Hearing Rights Under COMAR 07.02.26.  If a local department removes a child in care from a kinship resource home because of a child protective services finding, the local department shall advise the kinship caregiver of the rights of the alleged maltreater to request a hearing under COMAR 07.02.26 to challenge that finding.</text>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>