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The Maryland House Republican Caucus is calling on Gov. Wes Moore to fire Secretary of Human Services Rafael Lopez after the Baltimore Banner reported a child spent a night in the Baltimore City Department of Social Services Office. The incident reportedly happened days after a new policy prohibited the agency from housing minors in "unlicensed settings." It's unclear why the child was kept in an office overnight. "After nearly three full years in office, we have little confidence that Secretary Lopez is the leadership solution to these serious and systemic problems," said House Minority Leader Jason Buckel. Under the new guidance, all minors staying in hotels will be moved to a "placement appropriate to their needs" by November 24, 2025. "I am looking into that with our team, and we will address it because ultimately, there is a directive in place and we would be very clear about holding our department accountable," Secretary Lopez said. Gov. Moore backs DHS Secretary Lopez Maryland Delegate Mike Griffith said the caucus lost confidence in Lopez and is asking Gov. Moore to fire him and seek a new secretary. "This isn't about politics," Del. Griffith said. "This is about these kids and making sure that we're taking this very seriously." However, the governor said he is "confident in the work that Secretary Lopez has already done and will continue to do to make sure that we are fixing the Department of Human Services." Audit revealed DHS violations A recent audit on the Department of Human Services shows the agency wasn't keeping up with state mandates. The audit revealed the department didn't have a process to coordinate with the sex offender registry. Records show children were placed in homes that matched the address of registered sex offenders. "The department has lost a lot of federal dollars for not meeting federal law," Del. Griffith said. "But most importantly, we've created much more trauma for these kids, and unfortunately, we're setting these kids up for failure." Bill is being drafted for a teen who died in DHS custody Del. Griffith said he's drafting "Kanaiyah's Law," named after 16-year-old Kanaiyah Ward, who died from suicide in DHS custody in a Baltimore hotel. He said this law will prevent unlicensed settings, create an ombudsman position for outside oversight. It will also make sure background checks are done for providers and those looking to foster children.
