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Harford County social services director reports cabinet resignation, interim appointments and child-welfare trends
Summary
Director Cora Grishkot told the advisory board that Secretary Lopez will resign for health reasons effective Feb. 23; the department named interim and acting cabinet leads and noted its three-year audit cycle will begin in March. Assistant Director Jill Latteri reported a decline in the foster care census and staffing updates.
At the Feb. 19, 2026 meeting of the Harford County Department of Social Services Citizen Advisory Board, Director Cora Grishkot updated members on leadership changes and upcoming departmental milestones.
Grishkot reported that Secretary Lopez has announced his resignation for health reasons, effective Feb. 23, 2026. The minutes state that Gloria Brown Burnett will serve as interim Secretary until April 1, 2026, and that Stacey L. Rogers will serve as acting Secretary beginning April 1 while the cabinet-level search proceeds.
Grishkot also told members the department’s three-year audit cycle will begin in March, with results expected in late summer or early fall. The minutes say Harford performed well in the previous audit and staff anticipate a similarly positive outcome for the upcoming review.
Assistant Director Jill Latteri gave a services update, describing responsibilities for Child Welfare and Adult Services, noting several Child Welfare vacancies and the retirement of the CPS Administrator after 34 years. Latteri reported program-level outcomes and staffing actions, and said the foster care census has declined from 171 at the end of 2025 to 131 as reported at the meeting.
Latteri said staff are focusing on the Family Matters initiative and a Kinship Pilot Program, with plans for focus groups and a dedicated Kinship worker to conduct family searches and assessments. The board did not take formal action on the personnel announcements but noted the changes and the planned audit timetable.
