Maryland Foster Care Audit Reveals Children Placed With Sex Offenders and a Convicted Murderer
A scathing new audit has revealed that Maryland’s Social Services Administration (SSA) placed foster children in homes with registered sex offenders and, in one case, allowed a convicted murderer to provide one-on-one care in hotels. The findings, released by the Maryland General Assembly’s Department of Legislative Services, have sparked bipartisan outrage and renewed calls for immediate accountability within Maryland’s foster care system.
Criminal Background Check Failures
Auditors found that at least 10 children were placed in foster homes that included individuals on the sex offender registry. In one particularly egregious case, a man convicted in 2014 for sexual assault of a minor was employed at a group foster home. Just three months after SSA’s 2023 review of the facility — which failed to flag him — the man allegedly transported three foster children for inappropriate activity and was later charged with new crimes involving children under his care.
Despite these red flags, the Maryland Department of Human Services and SSA failed to document any corrective actions to ensure proper background checks had been completed.
Political Leaders Demand Accountability
Delegate Kathy Szeliga (R–Baltimore County) called the audit “absolutely abhorrent” and demanded resignations.
“Governor Wes Moore must immediately fire someone. The buck stops with either [Secretary of Human Services] Rafael López or [SSA Executive Director] **Dr. Alger M. Studstill, Jr.,” she said.
Auditors were able to find what SSA and county social workers did not — by simply comparing addresses from the sex offender registry with those of approved foster homes. In one instance, an offender convicted of sexual misconduct with a minor shared an address with a guardianship home housing four children between ages 4 and 8. SSA was unaware of this until the auditors brought it to their attention.
County-Level Failures and State Rubber-Stamping
The audit criticized county-level social services agencies for failing to perform required background checks — in some cases, up to 50% of the time. Even worse, SSA officials allegedly rubber-stamped incomplete or inaccurate reviews submitted by county workers.
In a December 2023 review of 10 foster homes, SSA claimed background checks were complete for all individuals — but auditors found no evidence of checks in half of those homes.
Foster Children Placed in Hotels With Unlicensed Providers
In hundreds of cases, foster children were placed in hotels under the care of unlicensed providers, often at exorbitant costs of $1,259 per day. One vendor contracted by the state even employed a convicted murderer for direct one-on-one supervision of children — a staggering violation of basic child safety protocols.
For comparison, the state’s approved reimbursement rate for treatment foster care is just $281 per day.
Abuse Allegations and Delayed Investigations
During fiscal year 2024, Maryland’s county-level social services offices received more than 17,000 allegations of abuse and neglect. Yet many counties failed to investigate them within the 60-day window required by law. Even worse, SSA never reported these delays to the General Assembly, despite being legally mandated to do so.
In response to inquiries, SSA cited a “natural disaster” between February and September 2024 as the cause of delays. However, no such disaster was recorded during that timeframe.
Medical, Dental, and Educational Neglect
The audit also uncovered shocking neglect of children’s basic needs:
25% of foster children had not received required annual physical exams.
Some children had not seen a dentist in over seven years.
Most concerning, up to 38% of school-aged foster children may not be attending school, despite the state’s internal database reporting near-universal attendance.
In a sample of 40 children, 15 had no proof of school enrollment or attendance — not even a report card.
Financial Waste and Unrecovered Overpayments
In addition to endangering children, SSA reportedly failed to recover up to $34.5 million in overpayments to foster care providers. Some recipients were receiving payments despite not housing any foster children or failing to meet basic obligations.
Federal Compliance Failures and Fines
This isn’t the first time Maryland has faced scrutiny over its foster care practices.
In 2019, the federal government found the state out of compliance in seven core metrics — including child safety and educational services. Although Maryland submitted a corrective action plan to retain federal funding, by September 2024, it had failed to meet promised reforms and was fined $700,000.
The 2025 audit suggests that Maryland may now be at risk of losing up to $23 million in additional federal support.
SSA’s Response
In response to the audit, SSA admitted their regulations were missing the required “crimes of violence” prohibition for foster parent eligibility under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act.
The agency claimed it took “appropriate action” after learning of the sex offender cases — including safety checks and law enforcement notifications. However, no documentation has been produced verifying that these actions occurred in a timely or consistent manner.
A System in Crisis
From unlicensed hotel placements to missing background checks and millions in unrecovered funds, the audit paints a picture of systemic failure at both the county and state levels. Despite repeated warnings and prior audits, Maryland’s Social Services Administration has not implemented lasting reforms.
Families, children, and taxpayers deserve answers — and action.
The Dark Truth Behind Foster Care Outcomes
The failures uncovered in Maryland’s 2025 audit reflect a much larger national crisis in child welfare. These outcomes are not rare — they are tragically common:
Children in foster care are 7 to 10 times more likely to be sexually abused than their peers in the general population.
An estimated 60% to 70% of children rescued from sex trafficking in the U.S. have spent time in the foster care system.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Foster Youth Institute
Within 18 months of aging out of foster care, 50% become homeless or incarcerated.
Source: National Foster Youth Institute
Only 3% of former foster youth ever graduate from college.
Youth in foster care are diagnosed with PTSD at twice the rate of U.S. combat veterans.
Black and Indigenous children are overrepresented in foster care by as much as two to three times their population rate, often due to systemic bias and poverty-related removals rather than substantiated abuse.
Source: Children’s Bureau (U.S. HHS)
These are not just statistics — they are the lived reality of tens of thousands of children.
When state agencies fail to run background checks, or place children with known predators or violent offenders, they are not just making errors. They are placing children in the path of preventable trauma.
At Father’s Advocacy Network, we believe the system must be rebuilt with accountability, transparency, and the protection of family bonds at its core.
