New leaders in Annapolis rate an incomplete for their first 100 days tackling children’s issues. They inherited a tragic mess, with Maryland’s outcomes in education, child welfare, juvenile justice and health far below those of comparable states. With the governor, his team and legislative leaders in place, they can begin to more aggressively transform Maryland into a state better for children. The public and advocates must help them carry this burden.

Reducing Achievement Gaps

Schools will receive the last installment of Thornton school funding next year. Despite evidence that previous installments were misdirected, the General Assembly failed to require the money be used to provide additional services for low-performing students as the law intended. A large academic achievement gap persists, and tens of thousands of students may not receive diplomas starting in two years because they cannot pass new High School Assessments.

Gov. Martin O’Malley needs to launch plans to attract the best principals to the most challenging schools, a nationally significant initiative proposed during his campaign.

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Delinquency Prevention

The governor appointed, and the Senate confirmed, a Department of Juvenile Services secretary with an excellent reputation for management. Although Sec. Don DeVore is still assembling his leadership team, he is moving to improve Maryland’s residential facilities, which have a shockingly high recidivism rate, above 60 percent. He will need to show an equally strong commitment to expanding community-based services, which cost less and will ensure safer neighborhoods.

The first budget by the governor favored facilities over community services. While the legislature passed a law last year calling for $10 million in delinquency prevention and diversion programs, the governor identified only existing efforts, meaning the 50,000 youth arrested each year and then sent back into their communities will not receive expanded services. In contrast, the governor found an additional $21 million for residential facilities.

After a youth’s death, the legislature expanded independent authority to monitor safety in private facilities.

The General Assembly failed to pass legislation requiring early intervention for students with challenging behaviors, rather than giving them multiple short-term suspensions that create a pipeline to delinquency. Instead, the legislature ordered a study of suspension policies. This is disappointing because effective practices are already well known. Fortunately, the legislature rejected efforts to criminalize truancy.

Helping Abused and Neglected Children

The governor hit a home run by recruiting a highly-accomplished secretary for the Department of Human Resources. However, the governor ignored a law requiring smaller child welfare caseloads. This may delay Secretary Brenda Donald’s efforts to improve case practice and to keep more children safely in their homes and communities, and it will most likely force the dysfunctional system back into court.

The governor increased monthly payments to foster parents, but the legislature chose not to require further increases to achieve national standards. In the last few years, the state has lost foster homes by the thousands, forcing more children into group homes, at greater expense and with worse results.

The governor provided an additional $5 million to try to fix the child welfare information technology system; this amount is inadequate. The state will need to spend whatever it takes to track children and services accurately and establish an effective accountability system.

Improving Health Care

The legislature did not expand health insurance for children, as proposed by the governor, or for parents, as approved by the House. The death of a child due to an untreated cavity apparently occurred too late in the session for action to address major unmet dental needs.

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In short, stronger agency leadership provides significant hope for the future, but the state continues to spend more money trying to fix problems long after they occur, rather than investing in services that help children at the earliest signs of poor academic performance, misbehavior or illness.

The governor and General Assembly face major challenges in the years ahead, but they also have an historic opportunity to bring children’s outcomes in line with Maryland’s great wealth and its progressive public.

Matthew H. Joseph is the executive director of Advocates for Children and Youth. He may be reached at mjoseph@acy.org.