We Must Do Better
I wish I could say I was shocked by the latest audit of Maryland’s Social Services Administration, but the truth is, as someone who has spent my career fighting for survivors, this is heartbreakingly familiar. The report found that children in state care were placed in homes where registered sex offenders lived and one was even working in a group home.
Let that sink in. These are children already ripped away from their families and everything they know, many already survivors of trauma and abuse. The very system meant to protect them instead put them at risk again. And this is not an uncommon story.
When the System Fails, Survivors Pay the Price
This is more than a bureaucratic mistake. This is a betrayal. A betrayal of trust, of duty, of the promise we make to kids when we say, “You are safe now.”
We know that foster youth are among the most vulnerable populations in this country. They deserve wrap-around protection, trauma-informed care, and stability not to be placed in environments where the risk of harm skyrockets. These are kids already vulnerable, uprooted, often survivors themselves. And a system meant to protect them failed.
Here’s what makes this so dangerous: children in foster care face higher risks of abuse than many realize. Studies show that a significant share of children placed in residential or foster settings experience physical or sexual abuse while in care in some older research, the rate in residential care settings was so high it couldn’t be ignored. And when you combine that with the trauma these kids already carry, the harm multiplies. These aren’t exceptions they are what happens when oversight and protection break down.
What Needs to Change
Here’s what I, and all of us at Andreozzi + Foote, want to see happen next:
- Stronger Screening & Background Checks – No child should ever share a home or group facility with someone who is on the sex offender registry. Regular, mandatory checks must be the rule, not the exception.
- Real Oversight & Accountability – Internal reviews and audits are only as good as the action taken after them. The state needs independent oversight and public transparency about how children are being protected.
- Adequate Staffing & Training – When agencies are short-staffed, safety checks slip through the cracks. That is not an acceptable excuse when children’s lives are at stake.
Why We’re Speaking Out
At Andreozzi + Foote, we represent survivors of sexual abuse every day including those who were failed by institutions that were supposed to protect them. These stories are devastating, but they also fuel our fight. We believe every survivor deserves justice, and every child deserves to grow up safe. We understand the devastating layer of trauma that institutional abuse can have on survivors. That extra layer of trauma creates complex trauma.
If Your Child Has Been Harmed
If your child, or a child you know, has been harmed while in state care, you are not alone. Our legal team has experience holding powerful institutions accountable, and we can help you explore your options for justice.
📞 Contact Andreozzi + Foote today for a confidential consultation. 1-866-753-5458
We will listen. We will believe you. And we will fight alongside you.