Workgroup on Aging Out of Foster Care
HB915 establishes a temporary Workgroup on Aging Out of Foster Care to study the needs of young people transitioning out of Maryland’s foster care system. The workgroup is composed of state agency leaders, youth with lived experience in foster care, and representatives from child welfare, legal aid, health, housing, disability, behavioral health, and youth advocacy organizations. It must be chaired by a member it selects, staffed by the State Council on Child Abuse and Neglect Citizens Review Board for Children, and supported by a one-time stipend for the youth members.
The workgroup is directed to identify what resources are currently available to help youth who have aged out of foster care achieve self-sufficiency, evaluate how effective those resources are, and determine what gaps or barriers remain. It must also examine what kinds of support former foster youth are most likely to use, whether youth were removed from their home counties during foster care, and which programs have successfully improved outcomes, including hotline or anonymous support-line models. The workgroup must report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by June 1, 2027, and the act sunsets shortly after that report is due.
The bill does not directly change substantive foster care eligibility, benefits, or agency duties in the Maryland Code. Instead, it creates a short-lived advisory workgroup and authorizes limited administrative support and stipends, which may inform future legislation or budget actions affecting child welfare, housing, education, health care, and transition services for older foster youth. Its practical impact is to require state agencies and stakeholders to compile data and recommendations on services for youth aging out of care.
The bill appears to have broad support. It passed the House on third reading by a wide margin, 131-1, indicating strong agreement that the issue warrants study and coordinated input from agencies and advocates. The absence of committee transcript opposition suggests the measure was generally viewed as a constructive, noncontroversial planning bill focused on improving outcomes for vulnerable youth.
No major substantive controversy is evident in the available record. The only likely points of discussion are the scope and composition of the workgroup, the inclusion of a large number of outside representatives and youth members, and the one-time $2,000 stipend for each appointed youth participant. Any concerns would likely center on administrative burden, cost, or whether a study group is the best mechanism for addressing immediate needs of youth aging out of foster care.