Maryland Family Law Section 6-102

      The General Assembly declares that:

            (1)      single parents should have access to a comprehensive range of services to enable them to make suitable plans for the care of their children and themselves;

            (2)      youths under the age of 18 years who are pregnant or who are parents of a child for whom they are unprepared to provide adequate care and protection are of special concern;

            (3)      this State has a continuing interest in preventing the problems associated with teenage pregnancy;

            (4)      to the end of preventing the problems associated with teenage pregnancy, single young people who are at risk of parenthood should have access to appropriate counseling and health services; and

            (5)      if the family of a single parent is unavailable, unwilling, or unable to provide financial, material, and emotional support to a single parent, then this State must provide timely services that will:

                  (i)      be an effective alternative to costly long term foster care; and

                  (ii)      prevent the neglect or abuse of a child of the single parent.