US Edition
Maryland DHS Secretary Rafael López Resigning, Cites Health-Related Reasons
Rafael López resigns amid foster care audit and death of a 16-year-old, with interim leadership set and a search for a permanent secretary underway.
- On Monday, Gov. Wes Moore, Governor of Maryland, announced that Rafael López, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Human Services, will resign for health-related reasons effective Monday, February 23, 2026.
- Following a scathing state audit, the Maryland Department of Human Services found registered sex offenders lived at addresses where foster children were placed, and many children were housed in hotels, including one with a worker convicted of murder.
- The audit reported over 80 foster care children had lengthy stays between three months and two years, costing taxpayers $10.4 million, with the total number of hotel placements unspecified.
- Deputy Secretary Gloria Brown Burnett will serve as interim secretary until April 1, when Stacy L. Rodgers, former Baltimore County Administrative Officer, begins as acting secretary during the search for a new DHS secretary.
- Maryland Senate Republicans warned López's resignation does not end accountability questions, and Senate Minority Leader Senator Steve Hershey said `Marylanders are seeing a pattern` amid a $1.6 billion structural deficit.
14 Articles
14 Articles
The Maryland Secretary of Human Services, Rafael Lopez, is resigning, leaving behind an agency affected last year by the death of a child of temporary upbringing under state care, the unsafe location of children of temporary upbringing, fiscal challenges and oversight flaws identified in audits. In a statement issued on Monday by the office of Governor Wes Moore (Democrat), Lopez announced his resignation, effective from Monday, February 23, for…
Maryland Human Services Secretary Rafael López resigns amid agency turmoil
Maryland Human Services Secretary Rafael López is resigning, leaving behind an agency racked in the past year by the death of a foster child in state care, unsafe placement of foster children, fiscal challenges and oversight failures identified in audits. In a statement Monday from Gov. Wes Moore’s (D) office, López said he is resigning effective Monday, Feb. 23, for “health-related reasons.” DHS Deputy Secretary Gloria Brown Burnett will serve …
López to leave DHS amid ongoing controversy over program oversight and fiscal challenges
Outgoing Department of Human Services Secretary Rafael López, in a photo from October. (Photo Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)Maryland Human Services Secretary Rafael López is resigning, leaving behind an agency racked in the past year by the death of a foster child in state care, unsafe placement of foster children, fiscal challenges and oversight failures identified in audits. In a statement Monday from Gov. Wes Moore’s (D) office, López said …
Maryland Department of Human Services secretary stepping down next week
Another embattled Maryland state agency head is stepping down. Maryland’s Department of Human Services Secretary Rafael López will step down as secretary effective Feb. 23, the governor’s office announced Monday afternoon. The secretary cited health reasons for his resignation. “Though I am resigning my post as secretary for health-related reasons, I will always be invested in making sure that our people have access to the services and support t…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 73% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
