Grilling of the Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Rafael Lopez intensified yesterday as he faced a joint legislative committee amid criticisms of how foster care children are being housed in Maryland. Auditors previously discovered serious issues, including children housed in unlicensed facilities like hotels and potential lapses in safety checks, FOX Baltimore reported.
Lopez acknowledged these persisting troubles from previous administrations, promising changes are in motion. During the hearing, lawmakers questioned the October 22 directive that banned hotel placements for foster care children but left out hospitals. In answering to the committee, Lopez said the intention was to limit hospital placements within a year, according to FOX Baltimore. However, the timing of these directives, particularly after the death of 16-year-old Kanaiyah Ward, has raised eyebrows and prompted harsh inquiries.
Lawmakers, particularly the Republicans, argue that the problems should have been addressed immediately upon taking office. Delegate Steve Arentz expressed that the repeated issues found in audits should have acted as a blueprint for systemic improvement. "We see this in many of the audits across the state government. They are plagued with repeat findings that, quite frankly, transcend administrations," Arentz told WBAL-TV, in what was seen as a critique of the pace of reforms.
Despite the scrutiny, Lopez defended the urgency and intent of DHS, stating to WBAL-TV, "We have moved with urgency to challenge the status quo by implementing systemic fixes both before and after the audit, but we are moving with urgency to try to resolve these." Nevertheless, Lopez's reassurance is juxtaposed against the DHS's history of negative audits and the latest audit's findings, including insufficient background checks for aides paired with children and troubling residence overlaps with registered sex offenders as revealed by WBAL-TV.
In the face of calls from House Republicans for his removal, Gov. Wes Moore maintains support for Lopez, citing the inherited nature of the issues. Lopez himself has responded to the critiques by emphasizing the progress made so far, including the fact that many children previously housed in hotels are now with Maryland-based providers.
