The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services recently completed a Data Reliability Review of Maryland’s performance indicator data for the previous fiscal year. This routine review found no significant delinquencies in the way Maryland calculates its child support collection performance and converts that data so that it conforms to federal reporting requirements.

Passing the Data Reliability Review is critical because the State would otherwise not have been awarded incentive funds. Such funds are used to finance contracts that provide essential services to the child support program and benefit all local offices.

This is welcome news for the department as we work to make Maryland a top 10 state for child support collection. I’d like to thank the DHR employees who assisted the auditors with their review and everyone who works diligently to ensure our families are getting the financial support they need and deserve.

Photo by Tom Nappi.

During a ceremony last evening in Annapolis, the Maryland Commission for Women welcomed six accomplished women into the Hall of Fame, which is housed in the Women’s Heritage Center in Baltimore City. The well attended event was a reminder of  the important role women have played and the key contributions they have made in helping others here in Maryland and across the nation.

The honorees were:

• Del. Jean B. Cryor – As a newspaper writer and later as a state legislator, former Del. Cryor fought tirelessly for pay equity for women.
• Former Congresswoman Helen Delich Bentley – Her name is name is synonymous with the Port of Baltimore and maritime industry in Maryland.
• Dr. Charlene Mickens Dukes - The first woman president of Prince George’s Community College, she’s been recognized as one of the 100 most powerful women in the region.
• Ellen Sauerbrey – A distinguished former state legislator and Ambassador to the UN Commission on the Status of Women who strives to improve women’s rights both here and abroad.
• Linda A. Pollack Shevitz – A national leader on issues of gender equity, sexual harassment and women’s history.
• Beatrice Tignor - She devoted her life to improving educational opportunities for children both as an educator and in the Maryland Senate.

-Ted

Collaboration and partnerships are key to ending hunger in Maryland. That’s one of our guiding principles at Maryland Hunger Solutions, and one we share with the Maryland Department of Human Resources (DHR). Over Maryland Hunger Solutions’ five year history, we have worked closely with DHR leadership and staff to increase the number of eligible people receiving Food Supplement Program benefits. Together, we have journeyed around the state to reach people in need, including to Somerset County to help those still struggling after Superstorm Sandy apply for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Benefits. It’s a partnership we’re proud of, and one that is making a difference for low-income Marylanders across the state.

Unfortunately, the need is great in Maryland – despite it being the wealthiest state in the country. One in every eight households struggles with food insecurity. The state has large jurisdictions with high poverty rates, such as Baltimore City and Prince George’s County, while even wealthier counties, like Howard, Montgomery and Calvert, have significant areas where many low-income residents live. But we have solutions at hand – the federal nutrition programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, known as the Food Supplement Program in Maryland).   Maryland Hunger Solutions is working every day to utilize and improve these programs so that all Marylanders in need are receiving the critical nutrition assistance for which they are eligible.

We do this through education, advocacy, outreach, and collaboration. We aim to ensure that the federal nutrition programs are fully implemented,  research and analyze the extent of hunger and food hardship, raise awareness of these issues through education and outreach, and advocate for needed policy changes to better serve those in need.

For example, we’ve tackled barriers to participation in the Food Supplement Program (FSP). Such barriers include a general lack of awareness about the program, misconceptions about eligibility, and challenges in applying for the program. Maryland Hunger Solutions has been collaborating with DHR and various organizations across the state to improve access for more Marylanders, including non-English speaking residents, seniors and working families.  We have also partnered with grocers, like Food Depot and ShopRite, and various community-based organizations and local government agencies to offer FSP outreach in stores and various community venues. By bringing FSP outreach into communities and offering help with applications, we’re able to reach more struggling households. And that means more food on the table and less hunger for vulnerable Marylanders.

The work we do is about real people in Maryland. Maryland Hunger Solutions believes it is a priority to give a face and a voice to the struggle that many face in Maryland. Our Voices of Hunger and Hope video series shows the impact of the federal nutrition programs for people across the state, and our Paper Apple Campaign brings ideas and solutions from residents in every county. Our partnership with the Baltimore Witnesses to Hunger and the Fighting Hunger and Poverty event this Thursday (3/21/13) in Annapolis amplifies those voices to show policymakers and citizens what hunger, poverty, and the solutions to ending them look like in Maryland.

Hunger can be eliminated in Maryland, and we all can contribute to this effort.  Maryland Hunger Solutions encourages you to join our effort to end hunger, promote nutrition and improve the well-being of Marylanders in need.  I invite you to visit our website at www.mdhungersolutions.org , follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or just pick up the phone to give us a call at 410-528-0021.

March is National Social Work Appreciation Month. This is a great opportunity to recognize our dedicated team of social workers. This year’s national theme highlights the fact that resilience and advocacy are primary tools for social workers. As executive director of the Social Services Administration, I know of countless instances where our workers have been resilient in advocating on behalf of others.

Our child welfare data tells part of that story. We’ve exceeded our adoption goals each of the last two years, and there are fewer children in foster care now than at any time in the last 25 years.

Those impressive statistics are the result of the great work being done by social workers across the state. In addition to our many child welfare successes, our social workers are also helping to stop exploitation and abuse of the elderly and assisting vulnerable adults to continue to live in the least restrictive environments possible. Much of the work that is done on behalf of others involves identifying available resources and persistent follow-up to ensure that services are available.

The resilience and advocacy our workers display each day isn’t going to make the evening news. But that’s OK. The end result is what matters most: that we are making a positive difference for the children, families and vulnerable adults who depend on us.

We are celebrating National Social Work Appreciation Month by honoring our workers in several different ways. Some local offices will be providing lunch for their workers, while others will be highlighting the month by bringing in guest speakers. As an agency, we have asked each of our local departments of social services to identify workers who most exemplify the resilience and advocacy that has served vulnerable populations well. Photos of those workers can be seen on the DHR website.

Additionally, social workers from the Baltimore City Department of Social Services were featured guests on WJZ-TV 13′s “Manic Monday” segment that aired early this morning. About 75 dedicated workers braved the early morning chill to take part, but going that extra mile comes naturally to our committed bunch of social workers. I hope you will join with me in applauding the fantastic work that all of our social workers do throughout the year.

Carnitra White, Executive Director
DHR’s Social Services Administration