TIMONIUM, Md. — Maryland schools are now required to notify parents the same day a child wanders or elopes at school, thanks to a new law named after a 3-year-old boy with autism who drowned after wandering from home.
WATCH: New Maryland law requires schools to notify parents when children wander away
In 2024, Brittany Bledsoe, a Gaithersburg resident, experienced an unspeakable tragedy when her son, Ace, wandered away and drowned in their Montgomery County apartment complex's pool.
The following year, she helped lobby Annapolis for a law named after her son.
Ace's Law requires schools to tell a parent or guardian the same day a child wanders or elopes, leaving the classroom or campus without permission.
"If your kid is at school and wandering, you should know that," Bledsoe told WMAR-2 News on Monday.
"They might wander at school, and not at home," she noted.
Shelly McLaughlin, program director for Pathfinders for Autism, explained more about the law's effects.
"It also requires that wandering and elopement be addressed in the IEP, which is the Individualized Education Program for students with disabilities if they exhibit wandering and elopement behavior," said Shelly McLaughlin, program director for Pathfinders for Autism.
McLaughlin, who works at the organization's Timonium offices, points out the law applies regardless of whether a student has a disability.
For children with autism, half of whom elope, it's a matter of grave importance.
"This should help improve the communication between schools and parents and really works to enhance the safety for all students," McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin notes that 70% of elopement deaths are drownings and encourages parents to take their children to swim lessons.
The organization works to make families better aware of safety resources. A list is available on its website.
"We are trying to encourage families to start putting strategies in place before elopement behaviors as a precaution, because elopement can begin at any age," McLaughlin said.
Maryland public and nonpublic schools are subject to the new law, including the Maryland School for the Blind and School for the Deaf. It went into effect on July 1, making this the first school year it will be in effect.
READ MORE: Raising awareness: The deadly risk of drowning for children with autism
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