Maryland Lawmakers Aim to End Foster Care Placements in Unlicensed Settings

Proposed bills would ban the practice of placing foster children in hotels, offices, and hospitals beyond medical needs

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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Maryland lawmakers and advocates are hopeful that 2026 will be the year they finally address the longstanding issue of foster children being placed in unlicensed facilities such as hotels, offices, and hospital rooms beyond their medical needs. Two bills, one led by House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk and another called "Kanayiah's Law" named after a teen who died in a Baltimore hotel, aim to ban these improper placements and improve oversight and communication between state agencies.

Why it matters

The placement of foster children in unlicensed and unsuitable facilities has been an ongoing problem in Maryland, with cases of children languishing for days or weeks in hospital rooms or other makeshift settings without proper care or supervision. This issue gained heightened attention after the death of 16-year-old Kanayiah Ward, who died of an overdose while staying in a Baltimore hotel. Lawmakers and advocates see 2026 as a pivotal year to finally enact reforms to protect vulnerable foster children.

The details

The proposed bills would ban the practice of placing foster children in unlicensed settings like hotels, motels, and offices. They would also create new oversight mechanisms, including a "rapid response placement team" to find appropriate placements for children in hospital "overstay" situations within 72 hours, as well as a new Child and Youth Placement Review Panel to focus on finding suitable homes for those in unlicensed settings. The bills aim to improve communication and coordination between state agencies like the Department of Human Services and Department of Health that interact with these children.

  • In September 2025, the body of 16-year-old Kanayiah Ward, who was in state care, was found in a Baltimore hotel room.
  • In October 2025, the Maryland Department of Human Services ordered an immediate end to placing foster children in unlicensed settings like hotels or office buildings.
  • As of January 2026, the number of "hospital overstays" - foster children medically cleared for discharge but with no placement - had fallen from 20 to 8, though 5 of those 8 had been in the hospital for over 6 months.

The players

Joseline Peña-Melnyk

The Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, who has been working for years to address the issue of foster children in unlicensed placements.

Mike Griffith

A Maryland state delegate who is the lead sponsor of "Kanayiah's Law", named after a teen who died in a Baltimore hotel while in state custody.

Kanayiah Ward

A 16-year-old girl who died of an overdose in a Baltimore hotel while in the state's foster care system.

Rafael López

The former Secretary of the Maryland Department of Human Services, who ordered an end to placing foster children in unlicensed settings in October 2025.

Department of Human Services

The state agency responsible for the foster care system, which has faced criticism over lack of oversight and placement of children in unsuitable facilities.

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What they’re saying

“Sometimes, days go by, weeks, and no one from the Department of Human Services comes to see that child. Oftentimes the nurses are the ones, and the doctors, providing clothes and coloring books and books to read and games to play.”

— Joseline Peña-Melnyk, Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates (marylandmatters.org)

“For my purposes, I don't care which vehicle is used, as long as we fix the problem. We feel like we're in a really great place in all these things... I've got to be honest, I'm incredibly optimistic that we're going to solve some major issues with the foster care system this year.”

— Mike Griffith, Maryland State Delegate (marylandmatters.org)

What’s next

The House and Senate bills will likely be amended further during the legislative process, but both Peña-Melnyk and Griffith are confident that addressing the issue of foster children in unlicensed placements will be a top priority this session, with bipartisan support.

The takeaway

This legislative effort highlights the longstanding problems in Maryland's foster care system, where vulnerable children have been placed in unsuitable and unsafe facilities like hotels and hospital rooms. The proposed reforms aim to finally put an end to these improper placements and improve coordination between state agencies to better serve the needs of foster youth.