EASTON, MARYLAND — For Mid-Shore families, Maryland’s kinship push runs through the local Department of Social Services office in Easton — even though the new statewide rates are Annapolis numbers, not a Talbot-only scorecard.

Gov. Wes Moore and the Maryland Department of Human Services on Sept. 17, 2026, marked National Kinship Care Month with a first-time milestone: as of July 2026, 50% of children in foster care under 10 were living with kin, up from 34.5% in July 2024. The governor’s office says that change represents more than 230 additional young children remaining connected to family while in out-of-home care.

Maryland’s 2024 Kinship Care Law and the Moore-Miller Family Matters initiative are the policy frame in the release. DHS says it removed barriers that made it hard for kinship caregivers to become licensed — licensing is required both to care for DHS youth and to receive financial support — and that the licensing share rose from 25% in December 2024 to 88% as of September 2026. Due to those licensing changes, DHS invested an additional $5 million to assist kinship caregivers.

“Our administration is dedicated to building communities that leave no one behind and that means we must ensure children in Maryland feel supported and safe,” Moore said. “By placing foster kids with their relatives, neighbors and trusted adults, we are providing them the proper support systems and care they need to go forward and seize every opportunity to realize their potential.”

Maryland Department of Human Services Acting Secretary Stacy L. Rodgers said half of Maryland’s youngest children remaining with family during formative years better serves families and improves well-being for children in care. The release also quotes kinship caregivers from Oakland and Waldorf; those are statewide voices, not Talbot County case stories.

Locally, Talbot County DSS is the Mid-Shore door for foster and kinship pathways. DHS lists the Talbot County office at 301 Bay Street, Unit 5, Easton, Maryland 21601, phone 410-770-4848, with hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Director Linda Webb heads the local office. DHS Family Matters pages point caregivers to kinship resources, licensing standards, and the Find a Local DHS Office directory that includes Talbot County. The Sept. 17 release does not publish a Talbot-only kinship percentage; readers should treat the 50% and 34.5% figures as statewide.