Children and Families

Advocating a sound and safe livelihood for families

Many families are working, but earn incomes that are too low to meet all of their major daily living expenses, such as housing, food, and child care. We examine issues affecting the financial status of Marylanders and their ability to provide such needs to their families. The institute also examines policies regarding child welfare, juvenile justice, foster care, and childcare.

Child Care: See the June 2009 Policy Report

Quality Child Care is essential in early childhood development. It also allows parents to obtain and maintain jobs. For many families paying for quality child care is costly.  6/16/09

Kinship Care: Supporting Children and Extended Families.

Kinship care is the full time care, nurturing and protection of children by relatives, godparents, stepparents, or any adult who has a kinship bond with a child.  Providing a permanent setting for a child in their family of origin is not only good practice, it appears to be cost-effective.  7/8/08

Review of Juvenile Services Budget: Funding for Current Operations But Not for Significant Reforms

The Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute and the Maryland Advocates for Children and Youth have joined forces to prepare a review of the proposed budget for the Department of Juvenile Services.  2/13/08