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An Office of Legislative Audits report reviewed SSA operations for the past four years and said that the agency repeatedly failed to protect children in its care.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Seven registered sex offenders lived in guardianship homes with foster children in Maryland, a new audit of the state Social Services Administration found.
The Office of Legislative Audits report, which reviewed SSA operations between May 2020 and May 2024, said that the agency repeatedly failed to protect children in its care, allowing foster children to live in unsafe environments, miss critical medical care, and be placed in hotels under unlicensed supervision. And many of the issues found haven’t been resolved since audits dating back to 2008, auditor Brian Tanen said in a letter to Maryland’s General Assembly.
The most troubling finding: SSA allowed individuals with disqualifying criminal histories — including seven registered sex offenders — to live in homes with foster children. Ten children were living across these homes.
Auditors also reported widespread lapses in basic health protections. More than 1,600, or 53% of, foster children missed required dental exams, and 640, which is 25%, missed annual medical checkups, in violation of state rules designed to ensure their well-being.
In other instances, children were placed in hotels instead of licensed foster homes. The audit shows that between 2020 and 2024, 280 children were housed in hotels. This reportedly cost the state $10.4 million. The audit shows that unlicensed vendors supervising the children charged the state excessively high rates of more than $1,200 per day.
Beyond safety, the audit pointed to chronic management problems. The agency reportedly failed to implement a comprehensive quality assurance program across Maryland’s 24 local social service departments and struggled with its case management system (CJAMS), which didn’t flag inaccurate or missing data.
Financial failures cost the state millions. SSA reportedly didn’t look into or recover $34.5 million in overpayments and was fined nearly $700,000 for falling short of federal foster care standards. From federal funding, SSA lost out on at least $2.6 million in federal reimbursements because the audit says the agency didn’t apply for them, and potentially further lost out on up to $23 million because eligibility determinations weren’t done correctly or on time.
Maryland Department of Human Services Secretary Rafael López acknowledged the severity of the findings, saying reforms are underway, including stronger monitoring, updated policies and new technology systems.
The audit urges Maryland to strengthen background checks, enforce timely child abuse investigations, improve health compliance, and tighten oversight of placements.
“The findings of this audit are not just disgusting and infuriating, but absolutely heartbreaking,” said Maryland District 5 Del. April Rose (R). “These are children who are under the care and guardianship of the state and deserve every protection we can give them. This is a complete failure of the state’s most basic responsibility.”
Click here to read the full audit.
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