(a) The department shall conform to federal standards for a merit system of personnel administration in the respects necessary for receiving federal grants and the board is authorized and empowered to effect such changes as may, from time to time, be necessary in order to comply with such standards.

(b) The department is authorized to employ, on a full or part-time basis, such medical, psychiatric, social work, supervisory, institutional, and other professional personnel and such clerical and other employees as may be necessary to discharge the duties of the department under this chapter. The department is also authorized to contract for such professional services as may be necessary.

(c) Superintendents of training schools and other facilities and institutions now or hereafter under the jurisdiction and control of the department shall be employed and dismissed for cause by the board on the recommendation of the commissioner. Professional personnel and other employees of such training schools, facilities, and institutions shall be employed and dismissed for cause by the commissioner on the recommendation of the superintendent. All other professional personnel and all other employees of the department under this article shall be employed and dismissed for cause by the commissioner in accordance with such rules and regulations as may be promulgated by the board in regard thereto. Employees of the department under this article shall in all instances be employed and dismissed in accordance with rules and regulations of the State Merit System of Personnel Administration.

(d) All personnel of the Division of Family and Children Services are authorized to be members of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, Chapter 2 of Title 47. All rights, credits, and funds in that retirement system which are possessed by state personnel transferred by provisions of this article to the division, or otherwise had by persons at the time of employment with the division, are continued and preserved, it being the intention of the General Assembly that such persons shall not lose any rights, credits, or funds to which they may be entitled prior to becoming employees of the division.