Justin Hayes

The Maryland State Council on Child Abuse and Neglect's 2024 Annual Report outlines the Council's work and commitment to improving child abuse and neglect prevention and promoting child well-being in Maryland. Key areas of focus include strategic planning for prevention, data-informed decision-making to address racial disparities, and addressing critical issues such as youth behavioral health and child fatality prevention. The report highlights the Council's multidisciplinary approach, emphasizing equity, partnership, and community engagement to achieve systemic change and support children and families.

The council received an overview from the Department of Human Services and heard reports from various workgroups, including updates on the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee regarding fund availability and vacancies, healthcare initiatives involving data analysis and the development of an Electronic Health Passport, and news from the Essentials for Childhood group regarding upcoming meetings and awards. Additionally, the meeting covered the proposal for a new Child and Family Outcomes workgroup, discussed current membership vacancies, and included a legislative recap.

The council discussed relevant 2026 legislation including bills related to kinship care, permanency plan requirements, child participation in CINA hearings, and a workgroup for foster youth aging out of care. Updates were provided for various workgroups including the Children's Justice Act Committee, healthcare initiatives regarding the health passport, efforts toward achieving racial equity, and pediatric overstays reporting. Additionally, the council addressed membership vacancy updates and planned future engagements.

The collaborative examined public education strategies and audience-specific engagement pathways for over-the-counter birth control. Key discussions focused on defining success metrics for public education, addressing the specific needs of diverse target audiences, such as healthcare professionals and consumers, and the importance of using plain language in health communication. The group also evaluated the role of local public health infrastructure and existing programs to support implementation, while emphasizing the need for audience-focused recommendations for the upcoming General Assembly report. Additionally, the meeting featured announcements regarding a pharmacist-prescribed contraception learning community and a study on point-of-sale barriers for accessing contraceptive products.

The meeting focused on public education campaigns regarding over the counter birth control, specifically discussing health literacy best practices and their application to a proposed awareness campaign. Participants explored existing resources for consumer awareness, identified hooks to engage large chain pharmacies, and considered additional stakeholders necessary for effective involvement in the awareness initiative.