June 24th, 2016 by WCBC Radio

Maryland’s Children’s Cabinet, through the Governor’s Office for Children, this week announced $15.1 million in statewide grant awards to Maryland’s Local Management Boards. Located in all 23 counties and Baltimore City, the Local Management Boards, or LMBs, bring together resources at the local level to strengthen services to children, youth, and families. These non-competitive grants will fund more than 100 child- and family-focused programs in Fiscal Year 2017 (June 2016-June 2017).  

 

Through an extensive planning process that involved input from hundreds of community members in every jurisdiction, the LMBs identified strategies that will address critical needs for children, youth, and families in their jurisdictions. By implementing programs and promising strategies that achieve measurable results, the LMBs position Maryland as a leader in developing solutions to issues that have a far-reaching impact for children and families in states and communities across the country.

 

The programs and strategies proposed by LMBs for FY17 include interventions for some of Maryland's most vulnerable populations: families and children impacted by caregiver incarceration; disconnected youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who are neither working nor attending school; children and youth who are food-insecure; and youth who are experiencing homelessness. These interventions represent new pathways to opportunities and a push for systemic change that will further Governor Hogan’s vision of ensuring an economically secure Maryland for all.  

 

For example, Somerset County plans to implement an anti-hunger initiative to reduce local food deserts, form partnerships to support local agricultural initiatives, and encourage families and children to grow and cook their own food. The program will include nutrition and cooking classes, development of community gardens, fishing instruction, and other activities.

 

“I tasked my Children’s Cabinet to focus specifically on working to ensure Maryland’s struggling families are on a pathway to economic stability and opportunity,” said Governor Hogan. “From implementing anti-hunger initiatives and providing job readiness programs and parenting workshops, these grants maximize state resources and enable our LMBs to assist thousands of families throughout the state.”

 

“The Governor’s Office for Children recognizes and appreciates the unique role of the Local Management Boards in understanding local concerns and developing programs for children, youth, and families,” said Arlene Lee, executive director of the Governor’s Office for Children. “The LMBs are the 'boots on the ground' in our communities, and we are grateful to be able to fund so many promising programs in the coming year.”