ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Governor’s Office for Children on behalf of the Children’s Cabinet hosted officials from the National Governors’ Association (NGA) and other states today to showcase Maryland’s work to help under served families and children to thrive, including finding new pathways toward economic stability.
“Our administration is committed to implementing practices that will better the lives of Maryland’s youth and families,” Governor Larry Hogan. “We are extremely proud of the work of our Office for Children and Children’s Cabinet and we are honored to serve as a successful model for state governments around the country.”
Earlier this year, the NGA Center for Best Practices selected Maryland for the second time to serve as the model for their Learning Lab called “Fostering Cross-Sector Collaboration to Address the Health and Success of Children and Families.” This fourteen-month project will help several state governments develop working relationships with local partners as they address the path to improving outcomes for children and families.
“Our office is grateful for the opportunity to share best practices with other states as we seek to protect and empower all children and families,” said Jaclin Warner Wiggins, Acting Executive Director of the Governor’s Office for Children. “We are thrilled to see other state leaders who are eager to learn from us as we continue to focus on implementing Governor Hogan’s priorities of making Maryland the best state for families and children to thrive.”
Participants interested in learning from Maryland attended this event in teams, representing various states. The focus of the conference discussed effective practices to foster cross-sector collaborations which address educational, social, economic, and environmental factors that improve the health and overall success of children and families in their respective states. Many issues were covered including homelessness, parental incarceration, and childhood hunger.
In April 2015, Governor Hogan tasked the Governor’s Office for Children and Maryland’s Children’s Cabinet with a series of initiatives aligning with his goal of an economically secure Maryland. By coordinating efforts at the state level and providing technical assistance to Maryland’s Local Management Boards, the Governor’s Office for Children focuses on four strategic goals to improve child well-being in Maryland: ending childhood hunger, overcoming youth homelessness, improving outcomes for disconnected youth, and reducing the impact of parental incarceration on children, families, and communities.