Overview
- Kanaiyah’s Law (HB0980) advanced with bipartisan support after clearing the House Judiciary Committee, with a House floor vote expected by the weekend and potential implementation as early as October.
- House leaders are also pushing a broader oversight package that could tie budget penalties to agency performance if foster care benchmarks are missed.
- Gov. Wes Moore says the state has ended hotel placements, set statewide standards for one-on-one care providers, increased training requirements, and expanded capacity with hundreds of additional beds and more treatment foster care slots.
- DHS leadership reports adjusted provider rates, new expectations to grow capacity, and a shift to a kinship-focused model to increase placements with family members.
- An audit documented unsafe, unlicensed placements including hotels, shelters, and hospital overstays; records show 34 youths stayed at a youth shelter from 2023 to 2025, and Legal Aid cited a case of a 17-year-old placed in a homeless shelter after a sexual assault.