Opinion No. Oag 39-90, (1990)

THOMAS SCHROEDER, Corporation Counsel Rock County

You ask whether members of a social services board in a county with a county executive or a county administrator may be granted access to child abuse and neglect files.

In my opinion, the answer is yes if such access is necessary to permit the board to perform its statutory duties.

Section 48.981, Stats., was amended and recreated in substantially its present form in 1983 Wisconsin Act 172. That legislation and subsequent amendments are required "to conform with federal regulations." Compare Freed v. Worcester County,69 Md. App. 447, 518 A.2d…