MCDB Successes

Successes in the Maryland Can Do Better for Children Campaign

Early Successes in the Maryland Can Do Better for Children Campaign

The Maryland Can Do Better for Children campaign has played a significant role in the following major victories on behalf of children:

	Juvenile Jails Delayed The Governor wisely delayed replication of a flawed residential program for delinquent youth. The State planned to spend more than $100 million on two facilities, but Advocates for Children and Youth pointed out the need to first develop a sound approach, based on the Missouri practice model, in which youth are treated near and with their families and prepared for a successful return to their communities.
	School Suspensions Drop Sharply The percent of students suspended fell to the lowest level in more than a decade. Baltimore City, Montgomery County and Prince George’s County accounted for more than 80 percent of the change, using Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and other strategies promoted by Advocates for Children and Youth. For more about this success, click here.
	Governor's Group Pushes Principal Bonuses The Governor's Principals' Task Force has strongly recommended financial incentives to ensure that all schools have outstanding principals, particularly those with disadvantaged students. Meanwhile, school principals are getting more authority and receiving financial incentives in Prince George's County and Baltimore City. For more information on how these districts are attracting and keeping good principals in challenging schools, click here.
	$10 Million to Replicate Harlem Children Zone President Obama has proposed $10 million to replicate the Harlem Children's Zone, a proven system of comprehensive preventive services to families to distressed neighborhoods. The University of Maryland at Baltimore is leading efforts to replicate the Harlem Children's Zone in West Baltimore. Momentum is gaining to bring this model to other sites in Maryland. For more about these efforts, click here.
	Barriers Reduced for Children's Seeing Dentists Dentists who want to serve needy children in Maryland now have to deal with one dental administrator, rather than seven different Managed Care Organizations. This, combined with higher reimbursement fees, should help 500,000 children in Maryland have an easier time receiving dental services. For more on this important win for improved oral health, click here.
	Governor To Seek Education Reform Grants Governor O’Malley said that the State will compete aggressively for new federal grants that require reforms proposed by President Obama. Maryland will have to raise academic standards, track individual student progress, recruit stronger staff for disadvantaged students and intervene more effectively in low-performing schools. The Governor's active support will help overcome resistance which has blocked these reforms in the past. For more information, click here.
	Commitment to Family-Centered Case Practice Human Resources Secretary Brenda Donald promised to "fully implement" Family Team Decision Making. This practice keeps more children in their homes and reduces length of stay of maltreated children in out-of-home placements. For more information on Family Team Decision Making, click here.
	Governor Commits To Ending Childhood Hunger Governor O'Malley promised to make Maryland "the first state to end childhood hunger," joining with Advocates for Children and Youth and others in an initiative to enroll more eligible families in food stamps and other nutritional programs. For more about the Partnership to End Childhood Hunger in Maryland, click here.
	Stringent Requirement for New Group Homes To open new group homes or expand existing ones, state agencies will have to demonstrate the expanded capacity is needed by children in the particular county or region. This new requirement addresses a chronic overuse of group homes for abused or neglected children in Maryland. For more about this historic effort to return youth to their communities, click here.
	Resource Shift from Facilities to Communities The Department of Juvenile Services closed a dysfunctional facility for delinquent youth and used the savings to expand Multi-Systemic Therapy, a proven program for rehabilitating youth in their homes. This meant an increase of more than $2 million for MST for FY 2010. Juvenile Services Secretary Donald DeVore said that he wants MST and other Evidence-Based Services to be "the hallmark" of his administration. For more about this groundbreaking step to improve public safety and save money, click here.
	Enhanced Refundable Earned Income Credit Lower income families in Maryland are receiving $40 million in extra tax refunds annually because the Maryland General Assembly approved a proposal by Governor O'Malley to enhance the State's refundable earned income tax credit. For more on this important win for family self-sufficiency, click here.