ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WBFF) — On the final day of the legislative session, lawmakers gave the final stamp of approval to a bill aimed at strengthening protections for foster care children after a teen girl died while in the state’s care.
Named after 16-year-old Kanaiyah Ward, the legislation creates a state foster care ombudsman and ties funding for guardianship assistance to criminal background checks. Del. Mike Griffith, R-Cecil and Harford Counties, is the lead sponsor of the bill said he hopes the passage of his bill shows the Ward family their child’s death won’t be in vain.
“I think it’s important and it’s not to be lost that we got to make sure we acknowledge Kanaiyah Ward, the Ward Family, what they went through and the fact that we’re honoring them,” Griffith said Monday after the Senate passed the bill. “As tragic as her death was, it’s not in vain. We’re going to do some really good work and we’re going to make sure this never happens again.”
Kanaiyah Ward. (WBFF)
Ward had documented struggles with mental health. She was placed in a Baltimore City hotel, and while awaiting another placement, ended up taking her own life in September 2025.
The ombudsman must be an attorney and would be responsible for providing expertise in child welfare, custody and guardianship issues, appeals and due process issues, as well as investigate complaints youth in out-of-home placements, and advocate for out-of-home care foster care children.
“There’s a lot of people who say Republicans can’t get things done in Annapolis,” Griffith said. “We’ve heard a lot of that rhetoric this year. This shows that’s not the case.”
During a bill hearing on Feb. 26, Kanaiyah’s mother, Brooke, told lawmakers she hoped the bill would become a reality.
“I hope that you don’t think we are here to just memorialize the loss,” Ward told the House Judiciary Committee. “We are hoping that the young men and women who need the help get it, and that the systems that they rely upon to protect and serve them actually work.”
I hope we can put politics aside and focus on something that we all have in common: the love of our children, Brooke Ward told lawmakers.
Griffith’s legislation originally banned hotel placements, and other unlicensed placement settings. However, that language was removed from the bill and included in a bill sponsored by House Speaker Joseline Pena-Melnyk. The bill, which is co-sponsored by Del. Griffith, is also headed to Gov. Moore’s desk.
For Griffith, this issue is personal; he spent most of his teen years in foster care. As his legislation passed on second reader, he said he felt emotional, acknowledging the impact his efforts could have on others.
“We always hope you have an opportunity to do something that matters, and much less something that matters that personally affected you. It makes this whole thing worthwhile to be able to come down here and do something that you’ve known has been broken for a long time that people haven’t paid attention to and be part of the solution and finally being able to help draw attention to this,” Griffith previously told FOX45 News.
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