Maryland Bill Would Probe Cheltenham Child Burial Site, Seek Accountability

On December 20, 2025 Maryland legislators in the Legislative Black Caucus unveiled a draft bill to establish an independent commission to investigate the deaths of children buried near the former House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children in Cheltenham. The measure would provide funds and legal authority to assemble a comprehensive accounting of boys who died in state custody between roughly 1870 and 1939, a period during which prior reporting has raised the death toll to at least 230 children, far higher than earlier official counts.

The proposed commission would be empowered to use ground penetrating radar, archaeological mapping, archival and genealogical research, and, with descendant consent and as needed, limited exhumation and forensic analysis to determine identity and signs of trauma. The draft legislation would require investigators to produce a public accounting and specific recommendations, including a timeline for reporting back to the legislature, and to refer any evidence of criminal conduct to prosecutors for potential legal action.

Lawmakers cited the rediscovery by state juvenile services staff of scores of graves, many marked only by cinder blocks, and recent investigative reporting that prompted renewed attention to the site and the institution. Advocates and officials emphasized dignity, community healing, and educational uses of the findings as central goals of the effort. The bill would also include resources for locating and notifying descendants and for recommending memorialization and reburial plans that reflect family wishes and cultural sensitivity.

For Prince George's County residents the effort signals a sustained public process that could involve archaeological work within the county and formal recommendations for commemorating the site. Descendant families may be contacted as part of genealogical work and could be asked for consent where exhumation is proposed. The commission process could also yield material for local schools and museums to integrate this history into public education.

The draft measure is scheduled to be filed at the start of the 2026 legislative session, setting a timetable for lawmakers to consider funding, investigative scope, and the legislative response to the commission's eventual findings. The initiative joins broader national conversations about historical accountability and the responsibilities of state institutions to address past harms while centering dignity for affected communities.