(a) It is the policy of the State to promote a stable, safe, and healthy environment for children and families that provides access to necessary services and supports in the least restrictive, most appropriate, and most effective environment possible, thereby increasing self–sufficiency and family preservation. (b) This policy shall be achieved through a comprehensive and coordinated interagency approach that: (1) is family–driven, child–guided, home– and community–based, culturally and linguistically competent, individualized, and effective; (2) provides a continuum of care, opportunities, and supports that emphasize prevention, early intervention, and community–based services, as well as natural supports; (3) gives priority to children and families most at risk; and (4) engages and empowers families and children so that, to the extent possible, they will be well–represented in every facet of the child–family serving system and partners in their own care planning.
Maryland Legal Code