(a) The Department shall serve children in the juvenile services system with programming that:
(1) ensures the safety of the community and the children served;
(2) holds delinquent children accountable to victims and communities;
(3) assists children to develop competencies to become successful members of society;
(4) delivers services on a regional basis through at least four operational regions;
(5) (i) ensures that each committed facility owned by the Department serves no more than 48 children at one time; and
(ii) ensures that each committed facility licensed by the Department serves no more than 48 children at one time, unless the Secretary finds good cause for a committed facility licensed by the Department to serve more than 48 children at one time;
(6) uses detention and committed facilities that are operationally separate from each other and that do not share common program space, including dining halls and educational or recreational facilities; and
(7) provides females with a range and quality of services and programs to meet their specific needs, including:
(i) diversion programs;
(ii) community detention services and programs; and
(iii) reentry services and programs.
(b) A region shall:
(1) include at least one secure facility used solely for children pending court disposition and children awaiting placement after disposition;
(2) except for specialized services as provided in subsection (c) of this section, include a number of committed facilities estimated to be necessary to diagnose, care for, train, educate, and properly rehabilitate every child from the region in the custody of the Department; and
(3) include a nonpublic facility only if the Department determines that the facility:
(i) has provided or will efficiently and effectively provide adequate care for the children placed in the facility; and
(ii) has demonstrated or will demonstrate a record of success based on standards promulgated by the Department.
(c) The Department may place a child into a committed facility outside the child’s region if a determination is made by the Department that specialized services for the child require the placement in the best interests of the child.