The Department of Human Services last week released corrected data showing that far fewer Maryland children have died from abuse or neglect in recent years than the state previously reported.

The number of such deaths in each of the past five years is dozens lower than what the agency submitted to the federal government, human services staff discovered, though the death rate still exceeds the national average.

The errors were caused by a failure to validate or reconcile the figures before they were shared publicly, Alger Studstill Jr., executive director of the state Social Services Administration, wrote in a Feb. 21 letter to the federal Children’s Bureau. The state had been mistakenly reporting all the deaths the agency investigated instead of only those where abuse or neglect was found to be a contributing factor.

A bumpy transition to a new case management system that started in 2019 also caused confusion, Studstill wrote.

“The accuracy of data submitted to the federal government is crucial, as it upholds transparency, supports informed decision-making, and safeguards the integrity of the information shared with the public,” he wrote.

But the corrected data show the state’s rate of child maltreatment fatalities per 100,000 children has remained above the national average since 2021, according to data submitted by states to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System.

The number of deaths reported in the most recent federal fiscal year is double what it was a decade ago. Maryland reported 46 deaths from child abuse or neglect in 2024, up from 23 in 2014. That’s about four deaths per month. But because the state has yet to review data reported earlier than 2020, it’s unclear whether the totals from prior years are reliable.

“Any single instance of a child dying of abuse or neglect is too many,” Gov. Wes Moore’s office wrote in a statement that praised the human services agency’s work rebuilding relationships and promoting accountability.

The administration provided few other details about what the state will do to prevent future deaths, and previously expressed skepticism about comparing Maryland’s rate of these deaths to other states'.

One recent death is that of Zona Byrd, a 5-year-old girl who had been returned to her parents’ custody before she starved to death in October. When police discovered her body, she was wearing toddler-size clothing that hung off her skeletal frame. Her parents are now facing first-degree murder and child abuse charges.

The Moore administration reviewed and ultimately amended five years of recent child fatality data after The Banner in December questioned the alarming number of deaths the state had previously reported.

The statement shared by the governor’s office said the discovery of faulty child welfare data was deeply concerning. A spokesperson said the Moore administration has a moral imperative to both understand and fix a problem that was long overlooked by the previous administration, led by former Gov. Larry Hogan, and that persisted for nearly two years under Moore’s leadership.

“Gov. Moore is confident in the diligent work that the Maryland Department of Human Services has undertaken,” the statement said. “The scope of the department’s work is vast, but the entire administration’s commitment to protecting and serving Maryland families is unwavering.”

The agency will fulfill that promise in part by rebuilding its data systems to inform policy decisions and promote better understanding of trends, said Stephen Patterson, a spokesperson for the department. He added that the agency is committed to facing problems head-on and will not settle for old processes or ways of thinking.

The result, he said, will be far more precise child welfare reporting moving forward.

Still, one retired Baltimore County child welfare social worker said there should be no excuse for not tracking such sensitive information more closely.

“How reprehensible that the state department charged with child protection literally lost track of child fatalities,” said Judith Schagrin, a former assistant director of the Baltimore County Department of Social Services. “There is nothing more important than keeping children alive.”

The corrected fatality data released by the state covers federal fiscal years 2020 through 2024.

Studstill wrote that a significant portion of the maltreatment fatalities during this period resulted from unsafe sleep, drug ingestion by infants or toddlers, suicide and drowning.

Although the federal government may only allow the state to update the figures for 2023, the agency submitted more data “in hopes they can be corrected,” Patterson said.

Maryland released updated information on deaths from child abuse or neglect the week after independent legislative analysts recommended withholding money from the human services agency until it can fix a slew of other problems with its data.

During a recent hearing, State Sen. Cory McCray, a Democrat from Baltimore, told officials from the human services department that their commitment to transparency had seemingly waned since last year, when they were enthusiastic about sharing child welfare information with lawmakers.

Asked to comment on the corrected fatality data, McCray said bluntly, “One death is too many.”

“We remain committed to working with our partner agencies to ensure every child in Maryland is protected and supported with the resources they deserve,” he added.

Last month, the department for the first time endorsed a bill that would boost transparency following some deaths from alleged abuse or neglect. House Bill 1209, authored by Dels. Susan McComas and Robin Grammer Jr., would require officials to promptly release requested information about children in foster care who die from suspected maltreatment. Compared to other states, Maryland stands apart in its lack of transparency after these deaths.

In a letter submitted to House Judiciary Committee Chair Luke Clippinger, a Democrat from Baltimore, an agency official wrote that the bill aligns with the Moore administration’s goal to prioritize transparency, honesty and openness.