Maryland has passed Kanaiyah’s Law, creating an independent child welfare ombudsman, banning unlicensed foster placements, and tightening guardianship requirements. For…
Maryland’s Most Vulnerable: The Children Who Died While Systems Failed
Since January 2023, Maryland has reported 140–150 child maltreatment fatalities, highlighting urgent failures in the child welfare system. Despite no…
HOTEL ROOM, NO SECOND CHANCES
Sixteen-year-old foster youth Kanaiyah Ward died in a Baltimore hotel room after a contracted caregiver failed to check on her…
Government Failure at Its Worst: How Maryland’s Foster System Left a 16-Year-Old Girl to Die in a Hotel Room
On September 22, 2025, 16-year-old Kanaiyah Ward was found dead in a Baltimore hotel, suspected to be from an overdose.…