Lawmakers Demand Answers After Teen in State Care Dies in Baltimore Hotel
Lawmakers are calling for accountability and a thorough investigation following the death of 16-year-old Kanaiyah Ward, who was under state care and living in a hotel in East Baltimore at the time of her death.
The incident occurred at the Marriott Residence Inn near Johns Hopkins Hospital. Emergency dispatchers received a call just after 11 a.m. on Monday, reporting a possible deceased individual in room 1109. First responders later confirmed the death was due to a suspected overdose. Authorities have not released full details but stated there were no signs of foul play.
Ward was among several foster children housed in hotels by the state of Maryland, a practice that has come under intense scrutiny. A recent audit revealed significant concerns about the use of hotels and hospitals for long-term foster care placements, citing poor oversight and lack of proper care.
Delegate Jesse Pippy, the House Minority Whip, expressed outrage over the situation. “What was this child doing in a hotel room? How did she die? Are there other children in hotel rooms? The questions are endless,” Pippy told WJZ. “A minor in state custody has died, and we’ve still heard nothing.”
The Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) responded with a statement saying, “If we find that our standards for care were not met, we will hold our contractors accountable.” However, they declined to release specific details due to the child’s age, citing confidentiality laws.
The audit, released earlier this month, found that 280 foster children were placed in hotels during fiscal years 2023 and 2024. Of those, 82 stayed for extended periods ranging from three months to two years. The cost to taxpayers for hotel accommodations and care from private vendors totaled $10.4 million. In some cases, the state was billed over $1,200 per day.
The report also revealed troubling gaps in oversight. Many vendors providing one-on-one care were not licensed, and some lacked criminal background checks. Auditors found that numerous children were placed in unauthorized settings without adequate supervision, and there was no documentation showing they received necessary educational or health services.
Governor Wes Moore acknowledged the findings, noting that many of the issues predated his administration. “Some of the challenges that these audits have laid out were things that did not begin with our administration,” he told WJZ.
In response to the audit, Maryland’s Secretary of Human Services, Rafael López, reported progress in reducing the number of children in hotels and hospitals. As of February 2024, 21 youth had stayed in hospitals for more than 48 hours and 54 were in hotels. Those numbers have since dropped to 10 in hospitals and 11 in hotels.
“We have focused like a laser on hospitals and hotels, which have been a challenge to Maryland for many decades,” López said during a recent state spending board meeting.
Despite these improvements, lawmakers are pushing for further action. Delegate Pippy emphasized the urgency of the situation: “The most fundamental responsibility we have is the safety of our most vulnerable. This child was failed by the system. There is no greater urgency than that.”
State legislators plan to hold hearings to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ward’s death and to examine broader issues within the foster care system.
Source: cbsnews.com