Overview
- Six minors remain in hotels, down from 41 in January 2023, with all to be moved to licensed placements by the deadline.
- DHS said it has contracted with four residential providers and issued a statewide RFP for one-on-one supports to expand capacity for youth with complex needs.
- An attorney reported a child spent a night in a Baltimore social services office days after the memo, highlighting implementation gaps; the agency declined to discuss the case.
- Lawmakers are set to question DHS at an audit hearing, while Del. Mike Griffith is advancing “Kanaiyah’s Law” to curb hotel use and tighten oversight of one-on-one providers.
- The shift follows the death of 16-year-old Kanaiyah Ward from diphenhydramine intoxication in a Baltimore hotel and audit findings of hundreds of hotel stays costing about $1,259 per day for caretakers.