Prince George's County launches task force to reform foster care system

Prince George’s County launched a 19-member Foster Care Task Force on May 12, putting 439 youth in placement and the county’s reliance on congregate care under fresh scrutiny. The new body was created under Council Resolution 125-2025, or CR-126-2025, and was given a broad mandate: examine county practices and recommend policy, operational and budget actions to improve outcomes for foster youth, especially children and families affected by the criminal justice system.

The inaugural meeting took place in the Council’s Committee Meeting Room at the Wayne K. Curry Administration Building in Largo. Autumn-Joi Barrett, identified by the county as a television host and on-air radio personality, is chairing the task force as it takes on a system that county officials say needs urgent repair.

The county’s own figures show why the issue has become a focal point for family services. In 2024, Prince George’s recorded 117 new entries into foster care, with 11% of foster youth placed in congregate care. That share has drawn concern because congregate placements are typically used when children cannot be kept in family-like settings, a signal of strain in the local foster care pipeline.

The task force brings together representatives from Bowie State University, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Sasha Bruce Youth Work/Promise Place, Paths for Families, Prince George’s County Public Schools, the Housing Authority of Prince George’s County, the Department of Family Services, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Social Services. County officials also listed members including Elana Belon-Butler, Elizabeth Faison, Nicole G. Garrett, Carolyn Floyd, Brian Wilbon, Erica Turner, Yolanda Johnson, Lisa Dominguez and Kamryn Kiser.

Council Member Edward Burroughs III championed the effort, and the Blue Ribbon Project said he was available for interviews before and after the meeting. The central question now is whether the task force will do more than issue recommendations. Its authority reaches policy, operations and budget, but the county has not presented it as a decision-making body. That leaves residents watching for measurable changes in placement patterns, service delivery and county spending as the panel begins its work.