Maryland Extends Youth Services in Three Cities

Families in Hagerstown, Salisbury and East Baltimore can keep access to coordinated after-school, mentoring and family navigator services.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Child Care

Maryland Extends Youth Services in Three Cities

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Maryland has invested an additional $500,000 in Safer Stronger Together, a cross-agency community safety initiative, following a two-year pilot in three communities. The funding will support Hagerstown, Salisbury and East Baltimore as the program continues beyond the pilot.

Why it matters

For Maryland families, the initiative pairs young people with family navigators, mentors and after-school programming, which can matter for child care and after-school logistics in the communities involved. The program's cross-agency design, bringing together Human Services, Public Safety and Correctional Services, and Juvenile Services, is meant to coordinate services that families would otherwise have to find separately.

The additional $500,000 supports programs in Hagerstown, Salisbury and East Baltimore, where the initiative has served 262, more than 900 and more than 4,600 young people respectively. In Salisbury, 231 young people were enrolled in extended after-school programs and 147 were connected with workforce development resources.

The players

Safer Stronger Together

A Maryland cross-agency community safety initiative that coordinates youth and family services across three communities through family navigators and local community action boards.

Maryland Department of Human Services

The state agency that leads health, family and social service programs for Maryland residents, including child welfare and family support, and is one of the partner agencies in Safer Stronger Together.

Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services

The state agency responsible for state prisons, parole and community corrections, and a partner agency in the Safer Stronger Together initiative.

Maryland Department of Juvenile Services

The state agency that oversees youth in the juvenile justice system and provides community-based programs, and a partner agency in Safer Stronger Together.

The details

Safer Stronger Together uses family navigators to coordinate services for families, so a parent or guardian has a single point of contact rather than a series of separate referrals. Local community action boards direct public funding toward neighborhood safety priorities, letting residents shape how the money is spent. In Baltimore, the program has also mediated more than 170 youth conflicts to prevent violence. In Hagerstown, 66 young people completed coursework toward an Amazon Web Services cloud practitioner certification.

The two-year pilot ran in Hagerstown, Salisbury and East Baltimore before the new investment was announced.
The additional $500,000 was announced on November 3, 2026.

The Home Front

The investment extends a two-year state pilot that tested coordinated services for young people and families across three Maryland communities. It follows the pilot model rather than creating a new program, so the three original communities are the ones that continue to receive support.

If you live in Hagerstown, Salisbury or East Baltimore, you can ask local community organizations or the state agencies involved how to connect your household with family navigators or after-school programming. Parents comparing after-school options may want to check whether a local Safer Stronger Together site is nearby.

The takeaway

Coordinated family services in Maryland now have a multi-year funding path beyond the original pilot, which can make after-school and mentoring options more stable for families. If you are in one of the three communities, asking your local program about enrollment and family navigator contacts is a practical first step.