Impacts of Maryland Kinship Law Changes Two Years Later

(MARYLAND) – In 2024, Maryland’s Kinship Laws were changed, expediting the process to place distressed children in homes with family and friends. Two years later, we’re seeing the impact of those changes.

Changes that have taken place in the home of Carlisa Smith.

Carlisa has been through the process in the past with her granddaughter, Jimmya, and she took custody of her great nephew, KJ, a young, nonverbal boy with Autism. And she’s been having an impact on kids lives for years.

Carlisa tells WMDT, “A lot of kids in the community call me mom or my mom and I just love bringing joy in their lives.”

One of the biggest changes in the kinship laws was lowering the number of days needed to conduct everything from financial checks and interviewing children. A process that used to take up to 120 days; that number is down to around five days.

“We had about 13% of our youth in care with fictive kin. Orkin. Since the change we have almost doubled the number. It’s about 24%,” says Social Work Supervisor, Jami Truitt.

With the goal for the children being stability and permanency. Whether that’s through reunification with the family or having kin become their legal guardians.

Talbot County’s Assistant Director of Child Welfare Services, Christine Abbatiello tells us, “Prior to 2024, it could have taken anywhere from 12 to 24 months to achieve permanency or longer. Now we’re trying. Our goal is less than a year to guardianship.”

And for Steve and Tami Phillips of New Castle in Northern Delaware, who’ve been caring for their two great-great nieces since 2025, it means the world to give kids a family… and a community where they know their girls can be safe.

“…An incredible aspect of security for children to know that they have a link and a foundation, you know, to know that they’ve got family that will go whatever, do whatever it takes to make sure they’re safe,” says Steve.