In 1978, the Governor's Office for Children began as the Office for Children and Youth (Chapter 426, Acts of 1978). It reorganized as the Office for Children, Youth, and Families in 1990 (Chapter 419, Acts of 1990). From January 1997 to July 2003, the Office functioned under the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. In June 2005, it was restructured as the Governor's Office for Children (Executive Order 01.01.2005.34). On January 17, 2020, Governor Hogan moved the Governor's Office for Children into the Office of Crime Control and Prevention, and renamed the Office of Crime Control and Prevention as the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services (Executive Order 01.01.2020.01). In March 2020, those changes were authorized by statute by the General Assembly (Chapter 11, Acts of 2020).
On January 18, 2024, Governor Wes Moore rescinded Executive Order 01.01.2020.01 and removed the Division of Children and Youth from the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services to re-establish the Governor's Office for Children (Executive Order 01.01.2024.05). In May 2024, those changes were authorized by statute by the General Assembly (Chapter 408, Acts of 2024)
The Governor's Office for Children serves as a central coordinating office to support the well-being of children and families and reduce the number of children living in poverty, which requires a holistic, coordinated approach within state government and across public and private sectors at the federal, state, and local levels. The Governor's Office for Children leads statewide efforts to build a comprehensive and efficient network of supports, programs, and services for children and their families in order to promote social and emotional well-being, reduce food insecurity, combat youth homelessness, expand access to health services, improve educational outcomes and job readiness, expand access to good jobs, and increase economic opportunity in sustainable ways in jurisdictions that historically have experienced underinvestment.
The Governor's Office for Children will also work with multi-sector partners to implement place-based strategies designed to provide “cradle to career" high quality education and care; connect workers to high quality jobs; enable family-sustaining income and access to affordable high quality housing, child care and health care, including reproductive, maternal, behavioral and mental health care; and increase community health and safety.
