BALTIMORE — A teen in custody of the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) died last month of suicide, according to the Medical Examiner's Office.
Kanaiyah Ward, 16, was discovered dead inside the Residence Inn By Marriott on N. Wolfe Street.
Officials say Ward's death was caused by diphenhydramine intoxication, which is defined as a medical emergency caused by an overdose of the common over-the-counter antihistamine.
Diphenhydramine is an active ingredient in medications that treat allergy symptoms, which can sometimes cause drowsiness.
Ward's death came one week after a legislative state audit raised concerns about DHS safety policies, specifically noting how 280 foster care children were placed in hotels under unlicensed supervision.
MORE: Audit finds 7 registered sex offenders living with foster children in Maryland
Maryland Delegate Mike Griffith has since announced plans to introduce legislation that would address certain ongoing issues within the state's foster care system.
The Never Again Act of 2026 - Kanaiyah’s Law would prohibit placing foster children in hotels for more than a week without review and authorization from the Secretary of the Department of Human Services.
Griffith's proposed legislation would also require training, licensing, and criminal background checks for one-on-one providers.
This issue is personal for Griffith, who was in Maryland's foster care system from age 12 through 18.
“Too often, foster children are treated like second-class citizens, as if they don’t matter. Where is the outrage in the community or in the Administration?" he said in a statement. "If I had left my child alone in a hotel room and they died of an overdose, I would be arrested. If Kanaiyah had died in police custody, there would be protests and press conferences. She deserves more from a state that completely failed her.”
DHS responded to this latest development, saying they're committed to ending hotel stays for foster kids in Maryland.
"Any child in a hotel is one too many, and unacceptable," the department said in a statement. "We are willing to work with child welfare stakeholders and advocates to implement solutions to ensure no Maryland child experiences a hotel stay."
As for existing guidance caregivers are supposed to follow, the department says they've issued several policies including one focusing on the monitoring of psychotropic medications, which are prescribed and not available over-the-counter.
Since implementing these policies, DHS claims to have reduced the number of foster children in hotels by 70 percent.
As of September 25, 2025, DHS says just 18 kids are being housed in hotels, equating to about 0.48 percent of the 3,765 that are being provided with out-of-home care.
"This downward trend is compared to September 30, 2023, when 59 youth were in hotels," DHS said. "This marks a significant improvement driven by laser-focused efforts over the past two years."
Out of the children currently in DHS custody — 2,660 of them have already been placed in family homes.
The department says one-on-one staff are required to pass a background check, and undergo crisis intervention training to meet supervision standards.
Ward's death remains under review, per DHS.
"We are committed to transparency and being as open as possible while maintaining the confidentiality of children and their families, as protected by law," DHS said.
WMAR-2 News did confirm at least one vendor's contract has been paused amid the fallout, although it's unclear if Ward's caregiver was employed by that company at the time of her death.
