Maryland’s Local Management Boards (LMBs) sit at the center of community partnerships that connect children and families with critical resources. Among their top legislative priorities, LMBs are seeking restored funding to sustain vital programs and advance Maryland’s long-term vision for children and families.
Maryland’s 24 Local Management Boards (LMBs) are a key component of community collaboration. LMBs bring together schools, nonprofits, and local governments to meet the needs of children and families. Yet, even as those needs have grown dramatically, the core state funding that sustains this work has not kept pace.
As previously covered by MACo, LMBs are quasi-authorities of local government active in each jurisdiction. The boards collaborate with local stakeholders to support many aspects of child and family services, including reducing the impact of incarceration on communities, reducing youth homelessness and child hunger, and preventing out-of-state residential placements.
The Children’s Cabinet Interagency Fund (CCIF), which supports all 24 LMBs, has been reduced from $47 million in 2011 to just $21 million in 2026. Meanwhile, demand has surged as LMBs served more than 530,000 Marylanders during the pandemic, more than double pre-pandemic levels.
To restore stability and strengthen the foundation of Maryland’s community-based family support system, the Maryland Association of Local Management Boards (MALMB) is requesting a multi-year investment to rebuild the fund to $30 million by FY 2030. From the LMB’s one-pager:
We are requesting a multi-year investment to restore CCIF funding:
- $3 million increase in FY2027
- $2 million increase in FY2028, FY2029, and FY2030
- Totaling $30 million by FY2030, restoring vital support to Maryland’s children, youth and families.
According to the MALMB’s one-pager, every $1 of state investment in LMBs yields roughly $3 in leveraged value, extending state dollars through partnerships with federal and private funders. Increased support would allow LMBs to continue leading cross-sector initiatives, implementing the ENOUGH Act to reduce child poverty, supporting youth development, expanding equity and access, and developing data tools for accountability and innovation.
With restored and sustained funding, Maryland’s Local Management Boards can continue their essential mission: ensuring that every child and family has the opportunity and support to thrive, no matter where they live.
