Sixteen-Year-Old Foster Child Under Maryland’s Human Services Care Found Dead in Hotel
The State of Maryland conducted an audit and discovered massive problems in the Department of Human Services-Social Services Administration. The Social Services Administration oversees and directs the social services programs of the state’s 24 local departments.
Approximately 24,000 children were under the jurisdiction of the SSA programs in 2024. During that time, auditors discovered that many departments did not conduct adequate and timely child abuse investigations. They also discovered that 280 children had been placed in hotels, costing the state exorbitant funds. Finally, seven registered sex offenders were living at the same addresses as foster children as of August 2024.
One person employed as a guardian had a conviction of sexual assault of a minor and was charged later with crimes involving children he cared for.
Many children were not receiving adequate medical or dental care.
Many charges of child abuse and neglect were left uninvestigated for over a year.
The agency responded to the charges stating that the safety and well-being of children was the agencies highest priority and that they are “fully committed to ensuring background checks for individuals interacting with children under our care.”
A little over a week later, a teenager housed in one of the Baltimore hotels and under the care of Maryland Human Services was found dead in her hotel room. Kanaiyah Ward, 16, was living at the Residence Inn by Marriott on North Wolfe Street. There were no signs of foul play or trauma.
The Medical Examiner will conduct a full autopsy to determine the cause of her death. She was in the custody of Maryland Department of Human Services at the time of her death. Lilly Price, DHS spokesperson, released this statement, ” The Maryland Department of Human Services joins the community in grieving this heartbreaking tragedy. The well-being of Maryland’s children is our top priority, and we will not rest until every child in our state is safe, thriving in a permanent home, and surrounded by loving family. The Department is investigating this incident. If we find that our standards were not met, we will hold our contractors accountable.”
Maryland House Minority Leader Jason Buckel said, “This is as tragic as it is outrageous. Had this occurred a week ago, it would seem like a terrible but isolated incident. Coming on the heels of the DHS audit last week, we know this is not the case. This appears to be another horrific example of the failure of this department to keep children safe, this time with fatal consequences. ”
House Minority Whip Jason Pippy asked, “What is going on in this department and what is happening in this administration? This comes less that a week after a damning audit that the Governor blamed on the previous administration. Governor Moore has been in office for almost three years, and a child died this week in DHS custody. We need accountability, and we need it now.
Maryland leaders demand answers after teen in foster care found dead in Baltimore hotel
This was not the first time that problems with the state’s CPS agencies have been discovered. This happened in August of 2024 in Caroline County:
Caroline County CPS under internal investigation | Latest News | wboc.com
The Department of Human Services was not the only state agency in which auditors found extensive problems. The State Highway Administration was found to have completed over $360 million in unauthorized expenses to federal fund projects in order to hide a deficit in the state’s transportation fund.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore has yet to speak about the death of the teenager. He has, however, blamed most problems, including budget shortfalls, on former Governor Larry Hogan even though Moore has been in office for almost three years.
-Jan Greenhawk
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