"Kanaiyah's Law" aims to bolster foster care regulations in Maryland
A bill named after a 16-year-old girl who died while in state care went before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
"Kanaiyah's Law" would restrict where the state can house children and strengthen oversight of Maryland's child welfare system.
Supporters say the bill aims to prevent tragedies similar to that of Kanaiyah Ward, who died last fall in a Baltimore hotel room while under state supervision.
Testifying in support of the bill
The bill is sponsored by Del. Mike Griffith (R-Cecil and Harford), who grew up in foster care himself.
Griffith said many of the problems he experienced in the system more than 30 years ago still persist today. With backing from the Maryland Department of Human Services, he called the measure a major step toward reform.
On Thursday, Griffith, DHS officials and Ward's mother testified in support of the bill.
"My name is Brooke Ward. I am Kanaiyah's mother," Ward told lawmakers.
Kanaiyah Ward's death
Kanaiyah Ward died in September at a Baltimore hotel where she was being housed while in state care.
A Department of Human Services report found she was left alone for at least five hours, despite required hourly checks, and overdosed on diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in many Benadryl products.
"She had attempted to take her own life multiple times, and her mother didn't feel she had the ability to protect her from herself … so she put her daughter Kanaiyah into the foster care system for her own safety," Griffith said during testimony.
"Kanaiyah was a wonderful daughter and we will miss her," Brooke Ward said.
What would "Kanaiyah's Law" accomplish?
"Kanaiyah's Law" would prohibit the placement of certain children in unlicensed settings such as shelters, offices and hotels. Griffith noted a recent report that children under age 5 were placed unsupervised in hotel rooms.
The bill also would expand background checks for adults living with guardians and create a new Child Welfare Ombudsman, an independent advocate inside the attorney general's office to handle complaints and review child welfare practices. Supporters say these changes would increase accountability and strengthen protections for vulnerable children.
"We are hoping that the young men and women who need the help get it and that the systems they rely upon to protect and serve them actually work," Ward said.
The Maryland Department of Human Services ended the practice of housing children in hotels in November. If passed, the bill would codify those changes into law.
House Bill 980 was introduced in the General Assembly on Feb. 6 and is currently before the House Judiciary Committee, which held a hearing on the measure Feb. 26.
