Maryland State Wire

The Frederick County Local Management Board (LMB) is drawing on past experience to determine how best to apply its share of the almost $20 million in statewide grants from the Children's Cabinet Fund as announced by Gov. Larry Hogan's office this month, a local official said during a recent interview.

"As one of Maryland's 24 LMBs, the Frederick LMB receives annual funding through the Governor’s Office for Children via the Community Partnership Agreement," Leslie Barnes-Keating, director of Frederick County Government Office for Children and Families, said during a Maryland State Wire email interview. "In preparation for the annual application process, the Frederick LMB conducted several community planning activities to identify and prioritize our needs within the Governor’s Strategic Goal populations."

Frederick County LMB will receive $446,603 for a local care team coordinator, programs and strategies, and board support from the $19.6 million in awards announced in non-competitive grants to fund more than 120 child- and family-focused community-based programs in Maryland in Fiscal Year 2019. The grants were announced by the office of Gov. Larry Hogan on July 5.

Frederick County LMB identified funding needs in three programs to meet the county's priorities, Barnes-Keating said. "Reducing the Impact of Incarceration through Education and Training" is one of the three programs that made the list in Frederick County. 

"The program aims to strengthen the bond between parents, children, caregivers, and the community through a variety of evidence supported activities including  parenting classes for incarcerated individuals, workshops, and one-on- one coaching for caregivers and parents after release," she said.

"Youth Connections" is another of the three programs. "This program provides strength based services to youth/young adults aged 16 to 24 who are neither employed nor enrolled in school," Barnes-Keating said. "Those services include adult education, employment readiness, career exploration, intensive case management, transportation, social and peer support and workshops focusing on different topics."

The third program on the list is "New Horizons Frederick," which offers personalized counseling, case management and service linkage for homeless Frederick County public high school students, Barnes-Keating said. "The program provides students with access to resources needed to achieve an on-time graduation including access to personal health, economic, educational, and enrichment services  and activities."

The three Frederick County LMB identified are aimed at "results" of youth who complete school and have opportunities for employment or career readiness. The idea is that communities will be safe for children, youth and families and families will be safe and economically stable, Barnes-Keating said. Those results are part of state-identified child well-being result areas for Frederick County.  

Past experience was enough for the Frederick County LMB board to target those areas, Barnes-Keating said. 

"Each of the above programs were funded for the first time in FY18 with positive outcomes and are renewed in FY19," she said. "These programs provide critical services to previously underserved populations.  Residents in Frederick County are now receiving targeted interventions to meet the very specific needs of those impacted by incarceration, youth who are  homelessness and youth who are disconnected – neither in school or working.  We are thrilled that the Governor's Office for Children has afforded us the opportunity to continue to provide these vital services."

LMBs, which are located in all Maryland counties and in the city of Baltimore, coordinate resources at the local level with an eye toward strengthening services provided to children, youth and families, all received a share of the grants announced by the governor's office.