Maryland delegate urges law to set statewide standards for child custody evaluators

Delegate Kauffman introduced House Bill 137, saying Maryland courts often rely on custody evaluators in contested custody and visitation cases but state law lacks uniform qualifications and training. "Judges often rely heavily on custody evaluators to assess family dynamics, child safety, and allegations of abuse," Kauffman said, arguing statutory standards will protect children.

Eileen King, founder and executive director of Child Justice, told the committee she has 30 years of experience representing families and described system failures she said have cost lives. "When you walk into my office, you'll see pictures of 4 children who have died because of system failure in Maryland," King said, urging lawmakers to convert evaluator recommendations into statute.

Supporters said judicial rules alone leave too much variability across jurisdictions and that training passed for judges in 2022 provides a model for pairing rules and statute. Kauffman pointed to the Maryland Department of Health child-fatality-review data, telling the committee that among 184 child deaths in 2021 local CFR teams reported 19 deaths, 10 resulting from confirmed abuse or neglect.

Committee members did not ask further questions at the close of testimony. The bill's sponsors said they will work with stakeholders on amendments but pledged to bring the legislation back until it passes.

The committee moved the hearing forward without a vote; next steps and any amendments will be determined in committee work sessions.