(a)  Purposes of subtitle.- The purposes of this subtitle are: 

(1) To ensure that the Juvenile Justice System balances the following objectives for children who have committed delinquent acts: 

(i) Public safety and the protection of the community; 

(ii) Accountability of the child to the victim and the community for offenses committed; and 

(iii) Competency and character development to assist children in becoming responsible and productive members of society; 

(2) To hold parents of children found to be delinquent responsible for the child's behavior and accountable to the victim and the community; 

(3) To hold parents of children found to be delinquent or in need of supervision responsible, where possible, for remedying the circumstances that required the court's intervention; 

(4) To provide for the care, protection, and wholesome mental and physical development of children coming within the provisions of this subtitle; and to provide for a program of treatment, training, and rehabilitation consistent with the child's best interests and the protection of the public interest; 

(5) To conserve and strengthen the child's family ties and to separate a child from his parents only when necessary for his welfare or in the interest of public safety; 

(6) If necessary to remove a child from his home, to secure for him custody, care, and discipline as nearly as possible equivalent to that which should have been given by his parents; 

(7) To provide to children in State care and custody: 

(i) A safe, humane, and caring environment; and 

(ii) Access to required services; and 

(8) To provide judicial procedures for carrying out the provisions of this subtitle. 

(b)  Construction of subtitle.- This subtitle shall be liberally construed to effectuate these purposes. 

[An. Code 1957, art. 26, § 70; 1973, 1st Sp. Sess., ch. 2, § 1; 1974, ch. 691, § 8; 1975, ch. 554, §§ 1, 3; 1995, ch. 11; 1997, ch. 532; 1999, ch. 619; 2001, ch. 415, § 6; 2002, ch. 396.]