Maryland's DHS Secretary Resigns Over Health Issues

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Rafael López, who has been serving as the secretary of Maryland's Department of Human Services since 2023, is officially stepping down from the post.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore confirmed the leadership shift in a Monday release that specified López's departure was effective Feb. 23.

Deputy Secretary Gloria Brown Burnett is expected to serve on an interim basis for the vacated posting until April 1, at which time Baltimore County Administrative Officer Stacy Rodgers will hold the post until a permanent candidate is selected to fill the cabinet position.

“Though I am resigning my post as secretary for health-related reasons, I will always be invested in making sure that our people have access to the services and support they need to thrive,” López said in a statement accompanying the release.

Related: Lopez Says Agency Working To Address Foster Care Issues After Scathing Audit

“It has been an honor to serve in the Moore-Miller Administration and I am immensely proud of the progress we have made in service to Marylanders.”

López's time in office saw a notable decrease in payment errors for the state's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which benefits low-income families.

Also of note was the department's investments toward ending child poverty and hunger through the Maryland SUN Bucks, a program that helps school-aged children receive meals either free or at reduced prices during the summer break.

However, López's departure also comes at a time when the state DHS agency was not only rattled by a 70-page audit that highlighted dozens of departmental issues, but also the death of 16-year-old Kanaiyah Ward.

Ward was a foster child who was in the state's care. She was being housed in a Baltimore hotel.

The audit highlighted that from 2023 to 2024, the state had housed nearly 300 children who were in the foster care system in hotel rooms.

While López previously explained that the Moore administration had inherited many of the issues noted in the audit, not everyone agrees. Maryland Del. Mike Griffith earlier told Maryland Matters that López's actions in office showed "he was not the agent of change the department needed to keep children safe."