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Two days after a state senator said Maryland Human Resources Secretary Brenda Donald's signature child welfare program was "not working," Donald received a warm reception - even applause - when she appeared before another group of lawmakers Thursday.
At a briefing for the Joint Committee on Children, Youth and Families, Donald summarized how she believes "Place Matters," which she launched two years ago, is working to improve outcomes for vulnerable children. Under this new approach, the department focuses on reuniting foster children with their own families or keeping them in family settings, which has reduced the state's reliance on group home beds by nearly half.
Donald said she is evaluating the quality of group homes across the state and being selective about the ones with which the state contracts - a radical departure from years past.
"It is refreshing to us that you get it and are doing such a good job," said Sen. Nancy J. King, a Montgomery County Democrat. King's comment drew applause from the audience.
Donald wasn't greeted so warmly on her last trip to Annapolis. Her Tuesday testimony to the Senate committee that oversees social services wasn't a "pleasant experience," as Sen. Joan Carter Conway noted after grilling the secretary for more than an hour.
Conway, a Baltimore Democrat, said she doesn't like the way group homes have been treated under Place Matters. A room full of angry group home providers agreed.
On Thursday, Sen Bobby A. Zirkin, a Baltimore County Democrat who pushed for the kind of group home reform Donald is now undertaking, warned her she'd continue to be pummeled with complaints because providers are losing money and going out of business (38 have lost Department of Human Resources contracts so far).
"You're going to get a torrent of criticism by those who have a vested interest in what was a broken system," he said.
At a briefing for the Joint Committee on Children, Youth and Families, Donald summarized how she believes "Place Matters," which she launched two years ago, is working to improve outcomes for vulnerable children. Under this new approach, the department focuses on reuniting foster children with their own families or keeping them in family settings, which has reduced the state's reliance on group home beds by nearly half.
Donald said she is evaluating the quality of group homes across the state and being selective about the ones with which the state contracts - a radical departure from years past.
"It is refreshing to us that you get it and are doing such a good job," said Sen. Nancy J. King, a Montgomery County Democrat. King's comment drew applause from the audience.
Donald wasn't greeted so warmly on her last trip to Annapolis. Her Tuesday testimony to the Senate committee that oversees social services wasn't a "pleasant experience," as Sen. Joan Carter Conway noted after grilling the secretary for more than an hour.
Conway, a Baltimore Democrat, said she doesn't like the way group homes have been treated under Place Matters. A room full of angry group home providers agreed.
On Thursday, Sen Bobby A. Zirkin, a Baltimore County Democrat who pushed for the kind of group home reform Donald is now undertaking, warned her she'd continue to be pummeled with complaints because providers are losing money and going out of business (38 have lost Department of Human Resources contracts so far).
"You're going to get a torrent of criticism by those who have a vested interest in what was a broken system," he said.
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