HB 1272 Maryland House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Family Law - Kinship Care

HB 1272 requires Maryland child welfare agencies to consider a child’s feelings and preferences when selecting kinship caregivers for out-of-home placements. It expands the definition of "kinship caregiver" to include unrelated individuals identified by the child or their parent, alongside blood relatives or those with strong family bonds. Agencies must approve such caregivers if they meet specific criteria, including understanding the child’s circumstances, having prior protective involvement, and demonstrating current ability to safeguard the child. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 12, 2026 Last action Mar 24, 2026

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What changed between versions

First - Family Law - Kinship Care → Third - Family Law - Kinship Care · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill update adds two new sponsors (Simmons, Taylor, and Conaway) and includes a favorable committee report with amendments. The substantive policy changes involve reorganizing the definition of 'kinship caregiver' by restructuring subsections, adding new approval criteria for kinship caregivers including safety concerns, previous involvement in child protection, and willingness to abide by court orders, and expanding the list of factors departments must consider when approving kinship caregivers.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on kinship care under Maryland's Family Law, but the approval criteria for kinship caregivers have been expanded to include additional safety and cooperation considerations.

ELIGIBILITY

Added new approval criteria for kinship caregivers including consideration of safety concerns leading to placement, previous involvement in protecting the child, allegations of abuse or neglect against the individual, willingness to abide by court orders, and willingness to cooperate with parents and facilitate court-ordered contact.

DEFINITION

Restructured the definition of 'kinship caregiver' by renumbering subsections and adding new inclusion categories while maintaining the core definition of individuals approved by the local department for temporary or long-term care.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement that prospective kinship caregivers must provide any information the local department requests to determine if they meet approval criteria.

TIMELINE

Added committee report status showing favorable with amendments and house action adopted, with second reading on March 6, 2026.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Mar 8, 2026