Child advocates in Maryland highlight ongoing challenges for older youth in foster care finding permanent homes, even as the state expands placement capacity through major contracts approved in 2025.
Approximately 3,800 children and teens currently reside in Maryland’s out-of-home care system, also known as foster care, according to the Maryland Department of Human Services. The primary goal remains reunification with birth families or kin when possible, but for those eligible for adoption, prospects diminish significantly with age. Most children in the system fall between ages 10 and 17, and experts note that by age 10, a child’s likelihood of adoption drops by 50 percent.
Saara McEachnie, director of adoption programs for the Barker Adoption Foundation, emphasized the importance of permanent families for all children.
“Being able to step forward for that child so that they can see a new reality, they can see a new trajectory, to be able to see themselves as something that they might not have envisioned before,” McEachnie explained. “All of those things are necessary, as children really are the bedrock of society.”
Nationally, more than 100,000 children eligible for adoption wait in foster care, with an estimated 23,000 aging out annually without family connections. In Maryland, neglect accounts for the majority of entries into care. Older youth often endure multiple placements, which can influence their ability to form secure attachments and navigate relationships.
Placement disruptions sometimes occur when resource parents encounter typical developmental behaviors from children. McEachnie observed that such experiences can lead children to feel they must behave perfectly to maintain a family.
“As they have been there a little bit longer, some of those attachment issues may start coming out,” McEachnie observed. “The challenges may come out, and families that are not able to understand what that behavior is, if they give up on that child, then it only further enforces that they’re not able to be their true selves within a family setting.”
The Barker Adoption Foundation’s Project Wait No Longer program focuses on placing older children, sibling groups, and those with specialized needs from foster care. The initiative has successfully placed more than 200 children with adoptive families across Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
Maryland took steps in 2025 to address placement shortages. In September, the Board of Public Works approved $465 million in contracts with 31 providers to add beds for treatment foster care and independent living programs. This expansion aims to increase in-state options, reduce out-of-state placements, and avoid temporary stays in hotels or hospitals.
State officials described the contracts as critical for meeting youth needs, particularly for those with emotional, behavioral, or psychological challenges. The funding supports a three-year initial term, with potential renewal, targeting over 2,000 beds.
Local departments of social services prioritize kinship placements—relatives or connected individuals—before non-relative homes. Resource parents, formerly called foster parents, provide temporary care while permanency plans develop. When reunification proves unfeasible, adoption or guardianship by kin or resource parents becomes an option.
Prospective resource parents must complete 27 hours of training, a home study, background checks, and health exams. Maryland licenses families for children from birth through age 21, with the greatest demand for teens 12 and older, sibling groups, and those with medical or mental health needs.
Out-of-home care serves as a short-term measure for children unable to live safely with parents due to abuse or neglect. Social workers collaborate with families on reunification, while maintaining birth family connections where appropriate.
Advocates stress that older youth remain deserving of permanent homes despite challenges. Programs like Project Wait No Longer seek families open to teens, emphasizing preparation for trauma-informed behaviors.
Maryland’s efforts reflect broader child welfare goals: safety, well-being, and permanency. The Department of Human Services continues to recruit resource parents statewide, encouraging inquiries through local social services offices.
For families in Southern Maryland counties—Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s—local departments handle inquiries, training, and placements. These areas share the statewide need for homes suited to older youth and siblings.
The Barker Adoption Foundation, serving the region including Southern Maryland residents, welcomes applications from individuals and couples over age 25, across backgrounds, for older child adoptions.
Maryland’s foster care framework, overseen by the Department of Human Services, aligns with federal guidelines while addressing local demands. Recent expansions build on ongoing recruitment and support for resource families.
Child welfare professionals note that understanding trauma helps families succeed with older placements. Multiple moves can reinforce feelings of instability, yet permanent adoption offers opportunities for healing and growth.
As capacity grows, advocates hope more families step forward for waiting teens, ensuring fewer age out without lasting support.