“Child-placing agency” defined; license required.

(a) Any person, firm, corporation, association, or public agency that receives or accepts a child under 16 years of age and places or offers to place such child for temporary or permanent care in a family home other than that of a relative within the third degree shall be deemed to be maintaining a child-placing agency. No child-placing agency shall be maintained in the District of Columbia without a license issued by the Mayor of the District of Columbia; provided, that notwithstanding any provisions of § 4-1404 such a license shall be issued forthwith to any corporation or association chartered by special act of Congress and having under its charter the purposes or powers of a child-placing agency as herein defined.