![[photo, 100 Community Place, Crownsville, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/08conoff/images/buildings/1198-1-07698b.jpg)
In 1978, the Governor's Office for Children began as the Office for Children and Youth (Chapter 426, Acts of 1978). It reorganized as the Office for Children, Youth, and Families in 1990 (Chapter 419, Acts of 1990). From January 1997 to July 2003, the Office functioned under the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. In June 2005, it was restructured as the Governor's Office for Children (Executive Order 01.01.2005.34). In April 2015, the Governor assigned four initiatives to the Office: reduce the impact of parental incarceration on children, families, and communities; improve outcomes for disconnected youth; reduce childhood hunger; and reduce youth homelessness.
100 Community Place, Crownsville, Maryland, July 2016. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
State and local government agencies and organizations are helped by the Governor's Office for Children to assist young people effectively and economically. To provide care through early intervention, prevention, and community services, priority is given to children and families most vulnerable to abuse, neglect, substance abuse, failure at school, family disintegration, and other problems. In meeting such needs, advice on local resources and priorities comes to the Office from child advocacy groups and parents. The Office also informs families and the general public about programs and services for youth.
The Office strives to ensure a stable, safe and healthful environment for children and families in Maryland. For programs and services affecting children and their families, the Office identifies inefficiencies, duplications, and gaps in services and resources. The Office then analyzes departmental plans and budget requests; reviews federal, State, local and private funds used by and available to the State; and identifies items in the Governor's budget that affect programs and services for children and their families. In addition, the Office issues impact statements and makes planning and expenditure recommendations to the Governor and department heads. The Office also advises the General Assembly on the needs of youth and their families (Code Human Services Article, secs. 8-101 through 8-104; Code State Government Article, secs. 9-2801 through 9-2805).
Goals for Child Well-being. Eight goals for child well-being have been set for the Office by the Children's Cabinet. They are defined as:
Engaging Neighborhoods, Organizations, Unions, Governments, & Households (ENOUGH) Grant Program. Effective July 1, 2024, the General Assembly required the Special Secretary to establish the Engaging Neighborhoods, Organizations, Unions, Governments, and Households (ENOUGH) Grant Program (Chapter 408, Acts of 2024; Code State Government Article, secs. 9-2801 through 9-2805). The Program is designed to advance place–based strategies that target child poverty.
Through partnerships with community organizations, nonprofit organizations, and anchor institutions, the ENOUGH Program provides resources to communities to improve the quality of life for Marylanders experiencing multi-generational poverty. Grants made under the Program are meant to:
An eligible neighborhood is one that includes census tracts with more than 30% of children living in poverty and is served by (as defined by the Governor's Office for Children) a community school with a concentration of poverty.
Appointed by the Governor, the Special Secretary of the Governor's Office for Children chairs the Children's Cabinet and the Advisory Council to the Children's Cabinet. The Special Secretary also serves on the Behavioral Health Advisory Council; the State Child Fatality Review Team; the State Early Childhood Advisory Council; the Children's Environmental Health and Protection Advisory Council; the Interagency Disabilities Board; the Governor's Family Violence Council; and the Maryland Commission on Suicide Prevention.
Formerly located at 301 West Preston Street in Baltimore, the Office relocated to 100 Community Place, Crownsville, Maryland, in May 2016.
The Office oversees two primary components: Finance and Operations, and Policy.
Finance and Operations is responsible for Children's Cabinet Interagency Fund Administration, and Fiscal and Human Resources.
CHILDREN'S CABINET INTERAGENCY FUND ADMINISTRATION
The Governor's Office for Children oversees administration of the Children's Cabinet Fund. The Fund supports the work of local management boards in Maryland counties (Code Human Services Article, secs. 8-501 through 8-507).
Policy is responsible for four main units: Child and Family Well-Being, Local Management Boards, Place-Based Strategies, and Reducing Child Poverty. The office is aided by the State Coordinating Council for Children.
The Council has developed procedures for local care teams to ensure that children with disabilities in residential placement receive a complete plan of care. With the local care teams, the Council monitors services for children with disabilities who may need or are in residential placement. It also maintains an information system that assures agency accountability to children with disabilities and enables the State to plan for needed services.
Ten members constitute the Council. Seven are ex officio members, two of whom do not vote. Three members are appointed by the Children's Cabinet (Chapter 3, Acts of 2007; Chapter 278, Acts of 2008; Chapter 604, Acts of 2011; Chapter 460, Acts of 2014; Chapter 469, Acts of 2015; Chapter 205, Acts of 2017; Code Human Services Article, secs. 8-401 through 8-404).
LOCAL MANAGEMENT BOARDS
Since 1990, each county in Maryland has been required to establish a local management board to plan, implement, and monitor child and family services. Each board determines what services are needed within the parameters of the goals of the Children's Cabinet.
Each local management board enters into a community partnership agreement with the Governor's Office for Children, which assists with training and technical assistance so that each local board may develop resources, implement programs, and become fiscally accountable.
Reflecting the interagency nature of services for children and families, each board's membership must include representatives from the local health department, core service (mental health) agency, and department of social services; the local office of the Department of Juvenile Services; and the county public school system. Other members representing public and private community organizations also may serve on a board (Chapter 3, Acts of 2007; Chapter 604, Acts of 2011; Chapter 469, Acts of 2015; Chapter 456, Acts of 2017; Code Human Services Article, secs. 8-301 through 8-305).
Search the Manual
e-mail: mdmanual@maryland.gov
|
|| Search the Archives || Education & Outreach || Archives of Maryland Online ] Governor General Assembly Judiciary Maryland.Gov
|