BALTIMORE — There are currently 14 foster children placed in hotel living situations in Maryland, according to the Department of Human Services. That’s down from 18 in late September this year, and 40 from last October.
But it’s not enough of a change, according to attorney Thomas Doyle ,who represents Kanaiyah Ward’s family, the teen found dead in a Baltimore City hotel last month.
“She was a child, she was a beautiful young girl and just a wonderful smile,” Doyle said. “A good young girl who unfortunately had this, you know, mental illness that didn't get helped, and that's the real tragedy, did not get any help.”
WATCH: Searching for answers after foster teen's suicide death while under state's watch
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the 16-year-old’s death a suicide, by an overdose of Diphenhydramine, the same drug marketed under the brand name Benadryl.
According to records obtained by WMAR-2 News, Ward was found with an empty bottle and a “detailed note”.
The teen had a troubled past with mental illness, as noted in the autopsy report, a history of depression, self-harm and a previous attempt on her own life.
Doyle says the more information that comes out, the more questions he has.
“Where was this one-on-one supervision? Do we know it was one-on-one with the 12 or so kids who were in this hotel? How did [she get] the medication?” Doyle asked.
Ward was living at the Residence Inn by Marriott on N. Wolfe Street, where her body was found on Sept. 22.
“This wasn't a foster situation where parents didn’t want her,” Doyle said. “Mom was, was trying to get her at least into a group home or a better situation where she could get treatment and it just fell on deaf ears.”
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Passing the blame
DHS contracts with third party vendors to provide one-on-one care for foster children.
The agency paused operations with Fenwick Behavioral Services two days after Ward's death but did not confirm if it was the organization responsible for ward's immediate care.
WMAR-2 News’ did not receive comment from the business at the time of the publishing of this article.
Unsupervised foster children is no new issue. In January 2023, the ACLU filed a class-action suit against DHS for failing to provide proper oversight for children given psychotropic drugs, including a 16-year-old who overdosed twice on his prescribed medications while living in a motel.
In response to Ward’s death DHS has stated in part “If we find that our standards for care were not met, we will hold our contractors accountable.”
Reporter Blair Sabol: “Do you think that's an acceptable response to this?"
Attorney Tom Doyle: “Oh, absolutely not. I think it's not only unacceptable, it's really callous and gross in my view, because that's the response of point the finger at the third party… Its ridiculous because you're the one that hired them. If they're passing the buck on to these independent contractors, you still have to oversee them. and clearly, they weren't doing that.”
Doyle says the news has been devastating to Ward’s mother and grandmother. Who confirmed that Ward wanted to be an artist and enjoyed drawing, sharing her favorite pieces on a doodleaddicts page.
Ward's death comes on the heels of an audit which detailed the shortcomings of Maryland's foster care system.
Doyle says he's prepared to file a lawsuit on behalf of the family, if that's what they wish moving forward.
“There's a point where there's nothing we can do to find out the answers,” he said.
Baltimore Police have ended their investigation, citing the Medical Examiner’s ruling, though Doyle says he believes there is a criminal element of negligence in this case.
DHS's investigation continues. The department says it is committed to “transparency and being as open as possible while maintaining the confidentiality of children and their families, as protected by law. Human Services Article § 1-202 prohibits disclosing information concerning child abuse or neglect reports, records, or investigations to the public, unless otherwise directed by a court order.”
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or visit 988lifeline.org.