The Blue Ribbon Project

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West Virginia Department of Human Services Secretary Alex Mayer testifies before state lawmakers in December. West Virginia Legislative Photography

West Virginia Child Abuse Prevention Efforts Show Gains Amid Child Welfare Reforms

West Virginia's Department of Human Services is reporting measurable progress in child abuse prevention, with community-based programs now operating in all 55 counties. The developments come as the state works to overhaul a child welfare system that a 2025 federal audit found was noncompliant with key intake, screening, and investigation requirements in an estimated 91 percent of reviewed cases. State officials say expanded early-intervention services are strengthening families and reducing risk factors associated with child abuse and neglect.

Maryland Lawmakers Demand Answers on Foster Children Stranded in Hospital Overstays Category

ANNAPOLIS, MD — January 30, 2026 — Maryland lawmakers pressed Department of Human Services officials during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on January 28 about the troubling practice of "hospital overstays," in which foster children remain stranded in medical facilities for weeks or months after being medically cleared for discharge simply because the state cannot find appropriate placements for them.

Maryland Foster Care System Reforms Advance Following Teen's Death in Hotel

A 16-year-old girl's death by suicide in a Baltimore hotel while under state foster care supervision in September 2025 has prompted Maryland lawmakers to advance comprehensive legislation designed to address systemic failures in the Department of Human Services. The Maryland Department of Human Services investigation released in early January 2026 confirmed that contracted supervisors were negligent in their duties, sparking calls for sweeping reforms including independent oversight, mandatory background checks, and prohibitions on placing vulnerable children in unlicensed facilities.

Justice for the Vulnerable: Maximum Sentencing of Mustafa Pitts and the Systemic Reckoning of Child Welfare in Maryland

BALTIMORE, MD — In a definitive ruling that punctuates a five-year nightmare for a local family, Mustafa Pitts, a former teacher at The Reach! Partnership School, was sentenced on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, to the maximum penalty of 55 years in prison. The sentencing, handed down in Baltimore City Circuit Court, follows Pitts’ July conviction on two counts of sexual abuse of a minor.

Medical Examiner Rules Teen’s Death a Suicide; Case Highlights Ongoing Concerns for Youth in State Care

Update: The Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has ruled the death of 16-year-old Kanaiyah Ward a suicide due to diphenhydramine intoxication. Ward was found on September 22 at a Baltimore hotel while in the care of the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS). This update follows our earlier coverage and confirms the official cause and manner of death.