Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Maryland General Assembly, fetched 2026-09-25. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. This is the chaptered version. The official bill page.
WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 640
Chapter 640
(House Bill 396)
AN ACT concerning
Residential Child Care Programs – Education of Children and Training of Child
and Youth Care Practitioners
FOR the purpose of repealing the maximum age for children in certain residential child
care programs who receive educational support; requiring operators of certain
residential child care programs to provide certain educational opportunities to the
children for whom they have legal custody or care and control; requiring that
applicants to be child and youth care practitioners undergo certain training;
prohibiting an individual who holds a certificate as a residential child and youth care
practitioner from being required to complete certain training under certain
circumstances; and generally relating to residential child care programs.
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article – Education
Section 7–309
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article – Health Occupations
Section 20–302.1
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments,
Article – Human Services
Section 8–704(8), (10), and (11)
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
Article – Education
7–309.
(a) (1) In this section, “residential child care program” means a program that:
–1–
Ch. 640 2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND
(i) Provides care for children 24 hours a day within a structured set
of services and activities designed to achieve objectives related to the needs of the children
served; and
(ii) Is licensed by the Maryland Department of Health, the
Department of Human Services, or the Department of Juvenile Services.
(2) A “residential child care program” includes:
(i) Group homes;
(ii) Alternative living units; and
(iii) Emergency shelter care.
(b) Each licensed operator of a residential child care program who has legal
custody or care and control of a child who is at least 5 years old and under the age of 16
years and receives State funding as provided in § 5–526 of the Family Law Article:
(1) Shall enroll the child in the local school system where the residential
child care program is located unless the residential child care program operates an
approved educational program in accordance with the licensing regulations that govern the
residential child care program ENSURE THE CHILD REMAINS ENROLLED IN THE
SCHOOL IN WHICH THE CHILD WAS PREVIOUSLY ENROLLED, UNLESS A
DETERMINATION IS MADE BY A LOCAL DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES THAT
REMAINING ENROLLED IS NOT IN THE CHILD’S BEST INTEREST, THEN:
(I) THE CHILD SHALL BE ENROLLED IN THE LOCAL SCHOOL
SYSTEM WHERE THE RESIDENTIAL CHILD CARE PROGRAM IS LOCATED; OR
(II) IF THE RESIDENTIAL CHILD CARE PROGRAM OPERATES AN
APPROVED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LICENSING
REGULATIONS THAT GOVERN RESIDENTIAL CHILD CARE PROGRAMS, THE CHILD
SHALL BE ENROLLED IN THAT PROGRAM;
(2) Shall expeditiously initiate and monitor the transfer of the academic
records of a child in the operator’s care from the transferring school to [insure] ENSURE
that the academic records are transferred to the school that the child will be attending
while living in the operator’s care;
(3) (i) May request a meeting with the child’s teachers; [and]
(ii) Shall meet the child’s teachers at the time of enrollment and at
any other time the school or a teacher requests TO DETERMINE THE BEST WAYS TO
SUPPORT THE CHILD; and
–2–
WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 640
(III) SHALL CONTACT THE CHILD’S TEACHER WITH ANY
QUESTIONS ABOUT SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS, THE CHILD’S BEHAVIOR AT SCHOOL, AND
EXTRACURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT THE CHILD;
(4) (3) Shall sign the child’s report card, [insure] ENSURE that the
report card is returned to school, and include a copy of the report card in the child’s case
record; AND
(5) (4) SHALL ENSURE THAT THE CHILD IS PROVIDED:
(I) REGULARLY SCHEDULED TIME TO STUDY TO SUPPORT THE
CHILD’S ACADEMIC WORK;
(II) ASSISTANCE WITH HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS, PROJECTS,
SKILLS PRACTICE, AND TEST PREPARATION IN ORDER TO REINFORCE EDUCATIONAL
CONCEPTS TAUGHT TO THE CHILD;
(III) ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT FOR PARTICIPATION IN
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES;
(IV) FOR A CHILD WITH AN INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION
PROGRAM UNDER THE FEDERAL INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT
OR A 504 PLAN UNDER § 504 OF THE FEDERAL REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973,
APPLICABLE EDUCATIONAL GOALS TO COMPLETE WITHIN THE RESIDENTIAL CHILD
CARE PROGRAM THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE CHILD’S PROGRAM OR PLAN;
(V) FOR A CHILD WITH A BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION PLAN
UNDER SUBTITLE 11 OF THIS TITLE, BEHAVIORAL SUPPORTS AND GOALS THAT
REINFORCE THE GOALS OF THE CHILD’S PLAN IN THE SCHOOL SETTING; AND
(VI) FOR CHILDREN DUALLY ENROLLED IN A HIGH SCHOOL AND
OR AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION, ACCESS TO A COMPUTER IN ORDER TO
COMPLETE ASSIGNMENTS THAT REQUIRE COMPUTER SOFTWARE OR THE INTERNET.
Article – Health Occupations
20–302.1.
(a) To qualify for a certificate as a residential child and youth care practitioner,
an applicant shall be an individual who meets the requirements of this section.
(b) The applicant shall be of good moral character.
–3–
Ch. 640 2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND
(c) The applicant shall have completed:
(1) A State and national criminal history records check; and
(2) Unless waived by the Board under § 20–303(d) of this subtitle, a child
protective services background clearance.
(d) The applicant shall be:
(1) At least 21 years old; or
(2) At least 18 years old and have earned at least an associate’s or
bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
(e) The applicant shall have:
(1) A high school diploma or equivalent and have successfully completed
an approved training program; and
(2) (i) At least 2 years’ experience in the human service field; or
(ii) An associate’s or bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or
university.
(f) (1) (I) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the
applicant shall have successfully completed a training program approved by the Board.
(II) THE BOARD’S PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE TRAINING ON:
1. THE ROLE OF THE RESIDENTIAL CHILD AND YOUTH
CARE PRACTITIONER;
2. CHILD DEVELOPMENT;
3. CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS DISABILITIES;
4. RECOGNIZING DIFFERENCES IN PROCESSING
INFORMATION AND THE DIVERSE WAYS CHILDREN LEARN;
5. RECOGNIZING BEHAVIORS THAT IMPACT A CHILD’S
ABILITY TO LEARN AND PRACTICE SOCIAL NORMS;
6. CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT IDENTIFICATION AND
REPORTING;
–4–
WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 640
7. SUICIDE RISK ASSESSMENT AND PREVENTION;
8. APPROVED FORMS OF DISCIPLINE AND BEHAVIORAL
MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES, INCLUDING THE USE OF BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION
PLANS UNDER TITLE 7, SUBTITLE 11 OF THE EDUCATION ARTICLE;
9. COMMUNICATION SKILLS;
10. PARENTING ISSUES, COLLABORATION WITH
FAMILIES, AND THE SUPPORT OF CHILDREN;
11. THE PSYCHOSOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF
CHILDREN, FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIPS, AND THE IMPACT OF SEPARATION;
12. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND SAFETY
PRACTICES;
13. ANNUAL FIRST AID TRAINING, INCLUDING
CERTIFICATION IN CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION;
14. MEDICATION MANAGEMENT;
15. INFECTION CONTROL; AND
16. IF APPLICABLE, FOOD PREPARATION AND
NUTRITION.
(2) (i) An applicant who has an associate’s or bachelor’s degree from an
accredited college or university may be waived from the training program requirement, if
the applicant passes an examination and meets other requirements established by the
Board under this subtitle.
(ii) The Board shall establish requirements and procedures for
waiving the training program requirement for an applicant under subparagraph (i) of this
paragraph.
(g) The applicant shall pass an examination given by the Board under this
subtitle.
(h) The Board shall waive the education, experience, training, and examination
requirements of this section for an applicant who:
(1) Applies for certification on or before October 1, 2015; and
–5–
Ch. 640 2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND
(2) Presents to the Board satisfactory evidence that the applicant worked
as a residential child and youth care practitioner in the State for at least 2 years before
October 1, 2015.
Article – Human Services
8–704.
A contract awarded or renewed between an agency and a provider for a residential
child care program shall:
(8) require the provider to comply with § 7–309 of the Education Article;
(10) require the residential child care program to have certified residential
child and youth care practitioners, as required under § 20–301 of the Health Occupations
Article; and
(11) require the residential child care program to have a certified program
administrator as required under § 20–301 of the Health Occupations Article.
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That an individual who holds a
certificate as a residential child and youth care practitioner on July 1, 2026, may not be
required to complete:
(1) any program of training required by § 20–302.1 of the Health
Occupations Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, that the individual has already
completed; and
(2) any new program of training required by § 20–302.1 of the Health
Occupations Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, until the individual’s certificate is
due for renewal in accordance with § 20–310 of the Health Occupations Article.
SECTION 2. 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 2026 January 1, 2027.
Approved by the Governor, May 26, 2026.
–6–Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.