Pinwheels for Prevention 2026
Earlier in April, we told you about pinwheels popping up across Maryland. Pinwheels are the symbols of hope during Child Abuse Prevention Month, and reminders of the children still falling through the cracks of our state’s care system. In our newsletter, I told you about “Kanaiyah’s Law,” and about the urgent need for stronger oversight and safer placements for children in state custody. Since then, something important has happened: the Maryland General Assembly has now finished its 2026 session. Patty and I stood on Lawyers Mall outside the State House on April 13th handing out our blue pinwheels. It was a wonderful day in our State’s capitol and we were happy to celebrate Sine Die with our fellow Marylanders.
Our lawmakers ultimately advanced and passed a package of measures aimed at strengthening Maryland’s child welfare system, including efforts to improve oversight, increase transparency, and address the growing number of children who are ending up in temporary or inappropriate placements when foster homes are not available.
One of the clearest themes from this session was urgency around system strain. As highlighted in the final days of debate, Maryland continues to face a reality where children can become stuck in hospitals, emergency settings, or other temporary placements—not because anyone intends it, but because there are simply not enough appropriate options available when they enter care. Lawmakers also advanced broader child welfare reforms focused on accountability and system reporting, along with continued investment in supports for youth transitioning out of foster care. These are meaningful steps forward. And they matter.
But they do not resolve what we continue to see every day: a system under pressure, where placement shortages, trauma needs, and coordination delays still shape whether a child finds stability quickly—or waits for it. What this session made clear is something we already know from our work at Camp Opportunity: policy can move, but children are still living in the gap between intention and reality. And that gap is where community matters most.
At Camp Opportunity, we are not a system fix. We are something different—but essential. We are a place where children step away from instability and into consistency. Where they are known by name, not by case file. Where they are safe enough to relax, connect, laugh, and begin to heal. And while it lasts only six days and five nights, the impact of that experience stays with them far beyond camp.
As we close out Pinwheels for Prevention month, we remember prevention is not only about stopping harm. It is about building enough stability around a child that they can grow through what they have already experienced. As Maryland continues to debate and refine its child welfare system, we remain focused on what does not change in the legislative calendar: children still need safety, consistency, and belonging right now. And none of that happens without people.
If you want to move from awareness to action, here are a few ways to stay engaged:
Become a foster parent if you are in a position to provide stability
Volunteer as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) to ensure a child’s voice is heard
Support organizations like Camp Opportunity that provide healing-centered, trauma-informed community experiences
Continue to stay informed and speak up when children’s needs are part of public conversation
We will continue to bring you updates as policy shifts in our State—but more importantly, we will continue to bring you the truth from the children we serve and the system they are moving through.
Thank you for standing with us, and for standing with our Campers.
With gratitude,
Trish Woodward
Executive Director
