State of Maryland

An Absent Parent Locator III is the full performance level of absent parent location work.  Employees in this classification locate and verify the location of absent parents who are not supporting their children.  Employees in this classification, assigned to local offices in the Department of Human Resources, are responsible for obtaining leads through interviews and investigations and spend a considerable amount of time following up on leads.  The work requires frequent contacts with clients, coworkers, employers, relatives, neighbors, landlords, and other interested persons to gather information on the location of absent parents.  When absent parents are located, employees in this classification submit valid addresses of absent parents to Child Support Specialists and keep a log of the actions taken in each case.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions but may assign work to clerical employees.  

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from an Absent Parent Locator Supervisor or other designated agency official.  In limited instances, employees in this classification assigned to agency headquarters perform advanced investigations using the more technical aspects of investigative techniques in obtaining information for child support enforcement purposes.  Employees exercise some independent judgment within established guidelines, rules, regulations and laws.  Work performance is evaluated through reports and conferences in terms of quality, completeness and timeliness with which assigned locations of absent parents are completed.               

Positions in this classification are evaluated using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of a class specification.   

The Absent Parent Locator I, the Absent Parent Locator II and the Absent Parent Locator III are differentiated on the basis of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Absent Parent Locator performs the duties under close supervision.  The Absent Parent Locator performs the duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The Absent Parent Locator III performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Interviews clients, relatives, neighbors, employers, landlords, and other interested persons to gather information on the whereabouts of absent parents;

Reviews information gathered from clients to determine best possible way of locating absent parents;

Researches files, crisscross directories and other informational sources in the office prior to field work;

Researches Motor Vehicle Administration's records, property assessment records and other similar types of records in order to find leads on the whereabouts of absent parents;

Verifies the location of absent parents;

Furnishes addresses of absent parents to Child Support Specialists;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of elementary interviewing and investigative techniques;

Ability to plan and conduct location investigations;

Ability to make and maintain harmonious working relationships with clients, co-workers, employers, and others;

Ability to communicate effectively;

Ability to work independently;

Ability to exercise good judgment and resourcefulness in meeting problems;

Ability to prepare complete and accurate logs of actions taken;

Ability to maintain confidentiality of case material;

Ability to develop informal leads.

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: Two years of experience locating or verifying the location of absent parents not supporting their children.

Note: Applicants using licensed private detective work for all or part of the required experience must list the license number and date of issue on the application.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.  

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.  

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit C, Regulatory, Inspection and Licensure classes.  As provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.     

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation. An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime, as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions    Article, Section 8-305.  

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series. NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In       order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.