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In Maryland, guardianship determinations are made by a judge, and depending on the nature of the petition, the petitioning process can take somewhere from a few months to a year before an individual is appointed.

The guardianship assistance program (GAP) is only available to relative caregivers who have assumed guardianship to a child committed to state or in foster care. Once the guardianship is finalized through juvenile court, the foster care subsidy ends. Legal guardians are not legally responsible to support the child.

Public guardianship in Maryland is administered by local Departments of Social Services for those aged 18-64, and the Department of Aging for those aged 65+. Public guardianship is a situation of last resort, when there are no family members, friends and loved ones to serve in this capacity.

There are two types of adult guardianship: A guardian of the person is authorized by the court to make decisions for the disabled person about their health care, shelter, or other daily needs. A guardian of the property is a person or agency appointed by the court to manage the property of a disabled person.

Begin the guardianship process by filing a petition asking the court to appoint a guardian for the person in need. You can download the petition form ? look for form CC-GN-002 -- from the Maryland Court's website at .mdcourts.gov. Step by step instructions on how to fill out the form are also online.

The guardian can make decisions that are based on either the wishes of the ward or a previous pattern of decision making during the ward's prior time of capacity. However, the guardian will make these decisions based on what's in the best interest of the ward generally.