State Youth Ombudsman ADMINISTRATOR IV

State of Maryland; Maryland; On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

The Maryland Department of Human Services seeks a State Foster Youth Ombudsman within the SSA Office of Family Advocacy in Baltimore. This high-level administrative and legal role advocates for youth in out-of-home care, independently investigating complaints and advising DHS leadership.

You will lead statewide outreach, ensure due process, and produce annual and ad hoc reports. Success requires experience in legal analysis, investigations, and advocacy for children and families, with a

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• Six years of administrative staff or professional work experience.
• Candidates may substitute college credits or degrees for experience per notes in the posting.

Responsibilities

• Perform duties, investigations, and reporting under House Bill 980 (Kanaiyah's Law).
• Investigate complex youth rights and safety cases across all Maryland jurisdictions.
• Conduct independent fact-finding reviews to assess LDSS actions for compliance with laws and policies.
• Provide authoritative legal/technical expertise on child welfare, court jurisdiction, and guardianship matters; lead statewide outreach.
• Engage with youth in out-of-home care to inform program improvements and manage the Ombudsman case portfolio.
• Perform advanced data and trend analysis to identify systemic deficiencies affecting youth stability.
• Author and edit annual, quarterly, and ad hoc public reports detailing Ombudsman activities and recommendations.

Skills

Legal analysis

Investigative reporting

Advocacy for youth

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

Introduction

When you join the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS), you join a team of more than 5,000 employees across the state dedicated to positively changing the lives of more than 1 million Marylanders each year. We do this by providing economic support, preventive services, and caring for children and adults.

Introduction

When you join the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS), you join a team of more than 5,000 employees across the state dedicated to positively changing the lives of more than 1 million Marylanders each year. We do this by providing economic support, preventive services, and caring for children and adults. We aim to deliver services so that we more quickly meet the needs of the people we serve. At DHS, we grapple with hard questions to find new ways to foster a culture of bold innovation. We do this to ensure that in Maryland, we leave no one behind.

GRADE

STD0019

LOCATION OF POSITION

MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

SOCIAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

25 S. CHARLES STREET

BALTIMORE, MD 21201

Main Purpose of Job

Pursuant to Chapter 158 of the Acts of 2026 (House Bill 980 / Kanaiyah's Law), this high-level professional administrative and legal advocacy position serves as the State Foster Youth Ombudsman for youth experiencing out-of-home care statewide. Housed within the SSA Office of Family Advocacy, the incumbent operates with statutory independence to serve as a neutral, objective advocate for youth, caregivers, guardians, resource parents, and adoptive parents interacting with the Department of Human Services (DHS) and Local Departments of Social Services (LDSS). The primary purpose of this role is to enforce accountability and transparency within the state's child welfare infrastructure. The incumbent independently investigates complex complaints regarding the rights and safety of youth in out-of-home care, resolves systemic and individual service delivery gaps, interprets statutory obligations, and delivers executive-level recommendations directly to SSA and DHS leadership to drive statewide operational and policy improvements.

POSITION DUTIES

• Executes all duties, investigations, and reporting mandates in strict accordance with the statutory requirements of House Bill 980 (Kanaiyah's Law).
• Investigates complex, high-profile complaints and alleged violations concerning the rights, placement conditions, and safety of youth experiencing out-of-home care across all 24 Maryland jurisdictions.
• Conducts Independent Fact-Finding Reviews to evaluate whether actions taken by LDSS or contractual providers conform to federal and state laws, COMAR regulations, SSA policies, and established child welfare practice standards.
• Provides Authoritative Legal and Technical Expertise regarding child welfare, juvenile court jurisdiction, out-of-home placement restrictions (including the statutory ban on unlicensed settings), custody/guardianship matters, and due process appeal rights. Establishes and Leads Statewide Outreach Strategies designed to inform youth in foster care, kinship caregivers, attorneys, and advocacy groups of the Ombudsman’s role, responsibilities, and mechanism for submitting direct complaints.
• Engages Directly with Youth experiencing out-of-home care to ensure their voices, lived experiences, and rights actively inform SSA programmatic improvements and statutory recommendations. Directs the Management and Tracking of the statewide Ombudsman case portfolio, ensuring precise, legally secure documentation of all inquiries, case activities, and final resolutions.
• Performs Advanced Data and Trend Analysis to identify recurring systemic deficiencies, regional operational patterns, or gaps in service delivery that negatively impact youth stability.
• Authors and Edits legally mandated annual, quarterly, and ad hoc public reports detailing Ombudsman activities, case statistics, compliance metrics, and actionable policy or statutory recommendations for the Secretary, the Governor, and the General Assembly.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must meet all minimum (and selective) qualifications to be considered, and to appear on the list of people eligible for hire. Please read all requirements before applying.
Education: Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.
Experience: Six years of administrative staff or professional work.

Notes

• Candidates may substitute 30 credit hours from an accredited college or university for each year up to four years of the required experience.
• Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and two years of experience in administrative staff or professional work for the required experience.
• Candidates may substitute the possession of a Master's degree from an accredited college or university for five years of the required experience.
• Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer involving staff work related to the administration of rules, regulations, policy, procedures and processes, or overseeing or coordinating unit operations or functioning as a staff assistant to a higher ranking commissioned officer on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

Desired Or Preferred Qualifications

• One year of professional experience conducting legal analysis, providing legal representation, or collaborating with courts in child welfare, family law, or juvenile justice matters.
• One year of experience preparing investigative reports, legal memoranda, policy analysis, and recommendations for executive leadership or government entities.
• One year of experience representing or advocating for children, youth, and families involved in child welfare or juvenile justice systems.

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator's license valid in the State of Maryland.

SELECTION PROCESS

Please make sure that you provide sufficient information on your application to show that you meet the qualifications for this recruitment. All information concerning your qualifications must be submitted by the closing date. We will not consider information submitted after this date. Successful candidates will be ranked as Best Qualified, Better Qualified, or Qualified and placed on the eligible (employment) list for at least one year. If you are in State service and are a promotional candidate, your salary will be determined in accordance with the State of Maryland Guidelines.

EXAMINATION PROCESS

The examination will consist of a rating of your education, training, and experience as presented on your application and as they relate to the requirements of the position. You may be asked to complete a supplemental questionnaire. The supplemental questionnaire may be used as part of the rating process. Therefore, it is important that you provide complete and accurate information on your application. For education obtained outside the U.S., a copy of the equivalent American education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service is required prior to hire.

FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS

The online application process is STRONGLY preferred. If you are unable to apply online, you may mail a paper application and supplemental questionnaire to, Department of Human Services, Examination Services Unit, 25 S. Charles Street, Suite 1100, Baltimore, Maryland 21201. Or email [e-mail]: Voice 410-767-8844, toll-free: 1-800-332-6347. If you are having difficulty with your user account or have general questions about the online application system, please contact the Maryland Department of Budget and Management, Recruitment and Examination Division, at 410-767-4850 or [e-mail]. Do not submit unsolicited documentation. TTY Users: call via Maryland Relay. As an equal opportunity employer Maryland is committed to recruiting, retaining and promoting employees who are reflective of the State's diversity. People with disabilities and bilingual applicants are encouraged to apply. We thank our Veterans for their service to our country and encourage them to apply.