Sharon Berkemeier, Permanency Planning Liaison
County Courts Building
401 Bosley Avenue
Towson, MD 21204
Phone: 410-887-2744
The Permanency Planning Coordinator positions throughout the State of Maryland were created in the Foster Care Court Improvement Project's 2001 Plan of Action. The Coordinator for the Third Circuit is responsible for ensuring that every child in the child welfare system in Baltimore and Harford Counties is provided with a permanent home setting in a timely manner. This is done by identifying barriers that prevent Termination of Parental Rights ("TPR") cases from being timely concluded (i.e., within 180 days from the filing of a petition).
The Coordinator tracks, monitors and assists in the disposition of TPR cases. The Coordinator also coordinates all juvenile dependency cases (i.e., Children In Need of Assistance "CINA" cases, as well as TPR cases) by developing the agenda for the Court's Juvenile Dependency Workgroup meetings, scheduling and assisting in follow-up for all dependency mediation cases and assisting the Juvenile Clerk's Office in timely processing and concluding all Juvenile Dependency cases.
Revised March 24, 2008.