The Maryland Department of Human Services will no longer use hotels to house minors in foster care.

The change comes after the suicide of Kanaiyah Ward, a 16-year-old girl, who was in the custody of the state at a Baltimore Residence Inn at the time of her death. The teen was staying in the hotel with a caregiver under contract with the DHS.

The DHS released new guidance stating that all minors staying in hotels will be moved to a placement “appropriate to their needs” by Nov. 24.

| RELATED: House Minority Leader Del. Jason Buckel questions DHS supervision after teen found dead at Baltimore hotel

“Well, I think this is a great first step. These kids being in that hotel environment obviously was the wrong decision,” Maryland state Del. Mike Griffith said. “There’s other issues that brou

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