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Budget Year / Version:
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Program Description

  Child Welfare Services

This program provides protective, rehabilitative, and supportive services for children who are maltreated and their families. This program also provides supportive and financial help to relatives, foster parents, and adoptive parents. Investigations, protective services, kinship care, foster care, adoption, and in-home services are also provided through this program. In-Home/Family Preservation Services provide social services to families with children who are at risk of removal from home due to neglect or abuse. These services are provided by the County on behalf of the State of Maryland Department of Human Services.

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Program Contacts

Contact Oscar Mensah of the HHS - Children, Youth and Family Services at 240-777-3850 or Deborah Lambert of the Office of Management and Budget at 240-777-2794 for more information regarding this department's operating budget.

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Program Performance Measures

Program Performance MeasuresActual FY23Actual FY24Estimated FY25Target FY26Target FY27
Number of children served in foster care 1451444498484472
Number of families receiving in-home services 2233240263256251
Percent of children placed in family settings 379%75%76%77%77%
Percent of children receiving in-home services that do not have a child protective service investigation with an abuse or neglect finding within one year after receiving services 492%96%96%96%96%
Number of newly accepted cases (IR, AR, and non-CPS) 52,6792,4572,5052,5242,580
1  Numbers reflect total number of children served in foster care during the fiscal year rather than a monthly average or point-in-time count. The decrease in children served in foster care is attributed to enhanced efforts to involve relatives and kin throughout the life of the case which shortens involvement with child welfare. Projections are based on five-year historical average.
2  Numbers reflect total number of families receiving in-home services during the fiscal year rather than a monthly average or point-in-time count. A slight increase in the number of families served from FY23 to FY24 can be attributed to a practice shift. Family Preservation teams are assigned Substance Exposed Newborn service cases rather than the Child Protective Services section to assess for the need of ongoing services. Projections are based on five-year historical average.
3  The percentage reflects the annual average of children placed in a family-based setting while in care. Family-based settings include: regular foster, relative foster, formal kinship, private treatment foster care, pre-adoptive, and trial home visit. A four-percentage point decrease from FY23 to FY24 can be attributed to a greater number of youth necessitating a higher level of care that can only be provided by trained professionals due to the youth's significant mental health, behavioral, or physical health needs. Projections based on five-year historical average.
4  Percentage reflects the total number of children receiving Family Preservation (Consolidated or Interagency Family Preservation Services) services in a 12-month period that did not have an indicated or unsubstantiated finding within 12 months of the Family Preservation case closure. In FY24, there were four fewer children with Child Welfare involvement resulting in an indicated or unsubstantiated finding following the close of a Family Preservation case as compared to FY23. Projections based on five-year historical average.
5  The data reflect the total number of newly accepted investigation (IR), alternative response (AR), and non-Child Protective Services (non-CPS) cases during the fiscal year rather than a monthly average or point-in-time count. An eight percent decrease from FY23 to FY24 can be attributed to fewer calls from the community made to the Screening Hotline resulting in fewer cases accepted for CWS involvement. Projections are based on five-year historical averages.
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Program Budget Changes

FY26 Recommended ChangesExpendituresFTEs
FY25 Approved31905949211.37
Reduce: Post-Adoption Services, Referral Services Available from the State-420000.00
Multi-program adjustments, including negotiated compensation changes, employee benefit changes, changes due to staff turnover, reorganizations, and other budget changes affecting multiple programs.2645198-0.47
FY26 Recommended34509147210.90